The City of San Antonio agreed today to award an additional $86,000 to the Food Bank and Catholic Charities to help defray the rising costs of dealing with the thousands of immigrants who have been dropped off at the downtown bus depot by the Border Patrol, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"Since the end of March, we have had 8,000 individuals coming through the city, City Manager Eric Walsh said. "The downtown churches have been providing shelter for those individuals who need to spend the night.
The vast majority of the immigrants are planning to move on to relatives or sponsors elsewhere, but many become the responsibility of local charities and groups who have stepped up to volunteer to care for them.
And Walsh says the stress on the local groups is going to get worse.
"On Monday we received an email from the Border Patrol, advising us that activity and numbers were going to increase," he said.
The Border Patrol is running out of room to house the thousands of immigrants who are entering the country and then demanding asylum, as instructed by the immigrant smuggler cartels.
“San Antonio has always been a ray of hope in the darkest of days. Our city has never hesitated to embrace anyone needing safe harbor such as during Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. Today is no different as we support children and their parents seeking asylum," Mayor Nirenberg said of the financial commitment made by the city.
Walsh says the immigrants who are left in San Antonio have been granted temporary legal status, and are not considered a risk for criminal activity.
"I want to make sure that you the public know that these individuals are coming here, and they have an appointment with an ICE office someplace in this country."