Respite Centers Struggling to Meet High Demand of Migrants
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MCALLEN - Staff at the Salvation Army says they are struggling to meet the high demand of migrants seeking shelter.
The city of McAllen asked the Salvation Army if they could shelter 200 asylum seekers from the streets.
Captain Stephen Correira from the Salvation Army says this is the first time they have had to house refugees to help with the overflow.
Correira says on a typical week, they drop off 400 meals to the respite center, but now that number is pushing to 1,000.
The city of McAllen says this is the first time they’ve had to spend money on humanitarian aid since 2016.
Correira says he doesn’t know how the Salvation Army will afford it’s typical programs.
“There is no budget for it. We don't know how we're going to do it, we're simply going to supply that need in good faith that the resources will come back in," he says.
Sister Norma Pimentel, from the Catholic Charities respite center in McAllen, says they will continue to coordinate humanitarian aid to keep the growing number of migrants on their journey of asylum.
Border Patrol was not specific on when the number of asylum seekers would scale back.
In a statement they said, "RGV Sector will continue to coordinate with state and local stakeholders and non-governmental organizations while these temporary measures are in place.”
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