The city of El Paso is having to take drastic measures to shelter the hundreds of processed and released migrants who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border who have no money to leave the city or are having to wait days out on the streets.
As temperatures are dropping below freezing at night, and this week's winter storm making it colder during the day as well, the city opened up the convention center to use as a shelter. It is said they can hold up to 1,000 people at one time, In addition to the weather, officials say it is needed for when Title 42 is lifted, which could be as early as next Tuesday.
El Paso is ready to start using the city’s convention center to start housing at least 1,000 migrants to alleviate the already-strained local shelters.
— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) December 21, 2022
Officials say they are prepared to add additional cots, citing the potential end of the Title 42 expulsions this month. pic.twitter.com/DmikdyJjyt
#breaking: @ElPasoTXGov is a now moving migrants into the convention center. @KFOX14 @CBS4Local pic.twitter.com/JcBRIrsXqq
— Jhovani Carrillo (@JhovaniKFOX_CBS) December 22, 2022
Other ad-hoc shelter locations include two middle school buildings the city's school district had previously shut down.
They will start sheltering migrants at Bassett Middle School and Moorehead Middle School, which were both mothballed by EPISD this year. "The district will provide facilities for sheltering purposes to support the city’s efforts," said #ElPaso Superintendent Diana Sayavedra.
— Robert Holguin (@RobertKFOX14) December 21, 2022
The surge in illegal crossings has caused some of the city's services to reach a breaking point. Homeless services that are intended for U.S. citizens have had to be used for the daily hundreds of those being released onto the streets by Border Patrol.