SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — People seeking asylum continue to be dropped off at transit centers around San Diego County and local groups are stepping in to help.
County Supervisor Jim Desmond has been tweeting updates since his office was notified of the drop-offs last Friday. On Tuesday, he said an additional 235 migrants were to be dropped off, bringing the four-day total to 1,071.
Max Disposti is the founder of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. He says he spent his holiday weekend helping migrants, dropped off by Border Patrol in Oceanside.
He and other organizations helped the migrants with food and clothing, coordinated travel, head to the airports to meet their sponsors in other parts of the country.
Disposti says the families were from Colombia, Nicaragua, and even Turkey looking for help. He says their cell phones were dead and they were asking how to get to the airport to travel to their families.
CBP released the following statement regarding the releases:
"CBP releases noncitizens to service providing nongovernmental organizations and other sites in border communities in coordination with state and local partners. CBP works diligently to ensure that releases are conducted in a safe manner and that all noncitizens released from custody are provided essential support upon release and may access transportation to continue to their destinations.
All individuals released from CBP to continue their immigration process are screened for national security and public safety concerns. Those individuals who are found to pose a public safety risk continue to be detained. CBP and ICE make custody determinations on a case-by-case basis and have in place strict reporting requirements for any individual released from custody pending the continuation of their immigration process."
County Vice Chair Nora Vargas also released a statement regarding the drop-offs:
"The federal government is the lead agency for migrants and asylees, but with the possibility of Title 42 being lifted soon, our County is regularly communicating with both federal and state agencies about the possible effects on San Diego County.
Local assistance organizations have contracts with the federal government and State to assist individuals who are released, but their resources are stretched thin. We are lobbying the federal government to direct more resources to our partners; and we are evaluating areas where we could assist if necessary."
Congressman Mike Levin also released a series of tweets about the situation available here.
