SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Hundreds of migrants are arriving at the San Diego border. Many of them are hoping for a shot at asylum.
As of Wednesday morning, a Border Patrol Union representative said there were more than 2,000 migrants in processing centers around the county. The representative said that is not counting the hundreds camped out between border fences in San Ysidro.
Some of them have been released to different areas around the county.
Cameras were rolling as migrants left buses with paperwork in hand with their court date on it. Many of them were left to figure out the next step on their journeys with just a backpack in hand.
This may bring up memories of four months ago when Title 42 was lifted when we also saw buses full of migrants leaving several processing centers around the county.
"I would say over the past week, we've seen an increase in the number of people waiting in this space," said Pedro Rio, executive director, American Friends Service Committee.
Many of the migrants camped between the borders are coming to the U.S., hoping for a better life.
"President Biden is asking people to use the CBP one application to make an appointment but that's just not feasible for one that doesn't know what that application is and two just can't for their safety wait in Mexico for weeks or months in order to have that appointment with customs and border protection," said Rios.
By the busload, groups are being picked up to be processed.
A representative speaking for the local border patrol union, Eric Swanson, was boots on the ground for more than 20 years. He spent more than half of his time as an agent in San Diego.
"They can't do their job. They can't do what they're sworn to do," said Swanson.
He said overall agents are frustrated with an immigration system that isn't built to sustain the trends they are dealing with.
"It's terrible. You're just processing all day and let them go out the door. It's overwhelming, but they've got to be there. They've got to man it," said Swanson.
