SAN ANTONIO – Thousands of migrants are at the border looking to cross into the United States.
An influx in border crossings was expected this week, with Title 42 set to end on Wednesday. But on Monday afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court put a temporary hold on the policy, meaning it will stay in place for now.
As the policy plays out in court, a local nonprofit is still preparing for a wave of people making their way to San Antonio.
“We’re ready to be here and receive whoever is in need of assistance,” said Alex Obregon, director of migrant services for Corazon Ministries. “We’re offering a two-day respite center for those individuals who are arriving here downtown.”
Oregon said the shelter has recently seen an increase of migrants come through their doors with the expected end of the policy put in place under President Donald Trump during the pandemic.
The policy allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities to turn away migrants seeking asylum.
It’s also led to surging numbers at the southern border, with hundreds of those migrants having passed through San Antonio.
“Over this last week, we’ve had days where we are around 200 arrivals and as low as just in the forties,” said Obregon.
Corazon Ministries provides a meal, showers and hygienic products to asylum seekers, but their resources could be stretched thin.
“We’re trying our best to absorb that number, see where they need to go and get them safely to their location,” said Gavin Rogers, executive director of Corazon Ministries.
Since 2019, Rogers estimates Corazon Ministries has served nearly 35,000 people seeking asylum, giving them shelter and a safe place to sleep before they move on to their next destination.
“We will try to be ready as best we can for our siblings who are seeking asylum, and that’s increasing our resourcing operations here at the church,” said Rogers.
Corazon said their goal is to help migrants get safely to their next destination and do it with compassion, but they expect the number will go up in the next few days.
“We’ll be helping people transport to the Migrant Resource Center. We’ll help people get safely to the airport or the bus station,” said Rogers.
“If you ever found yourself in this kind of situation, I’m sure that you would want someone to be able to assist you,” said Obregon.
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