As ICE releases hundreds of migrants en masse in El Paso, local shelter eyes more beds

Churches, volunteers, hotels and  the public at large – all of these entities working together – to prevent hundreds more asylum-seeking, undocumented immigrants from being released by the federal government onto the streets of this border city with no place to go.

The message is from Ruben Garcia, director of El Paso’s Annunciation House, a local shelter which takes in migrants seeking refuge in the United States after release from federal custody. 

He may consider asking the city of El Paso to provide additional resources to help keep a difficult situation under control. The city  provides migrants seeking the help of groups like Annunciation House use of city buses for travel and police for safety. But if ICE starts releasing even more migrants unequipped to find their own shelter or reach family elsewhere in the country, local officials may feel a need to provide more support.