Migrant ‘welcome center’ closes due to lack of county funding
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The County of San Diego has spent $6 million to keep a migrant welcome center open, but according to SBCS, the non-profit running the facility, the money has run out, forcing it to close by 7 p.m. Thursday.
Back in October, with help from the County of San Diego, SBCS initially set up the site at an abandoned elementary school five miles east of downtown San Diego.
After being processed by Border Patrol, the asylum-seekers were picked up by SBCS and brought to the center for a meal and other support before leaving for their final destinations across the country.
Up until the facility opened, Border Patrol was releasing migrants by the busload at transit centers around the county.
Welcome center for migrants in San Diego County to close as funding runs out
The migrants would then scatter and fend for themselves as they tried to reach the airport or bus station in San Diego.
In November, County Supervisor Nora Vargas said funding the center was vital to help the migrants and the community itself.
A few days ago, through a statement, Kathie Lembo, president and CEO of SBCS said the money ran out sooner than expected.
“As the number of migrants arriving at the center has increased significantly over the last few weeks, our finite resources have been stretched to the limit,” said Lembo. “Leading this effort has been an honor. … We will continue working with the County and our partners in hopes of identifying additional resources to keep the center open, preventing hundreds of individuals a day from being stranded in San Diego without the support they need to continue their journey.”
As of Thursday morning, no other funding had been identified, according to SBCS, which said it would shut down the facility between 6 and 7 p.m. depending on the number of migrants needing assistance.
Border Report reached out to Vargas’ office to see if she or anyone else from the country tried to find more money for the center, but our calls were not returned.
Fellow Supervisor Jim Desmond stated earlier this week that the $6 million provided to SBCS should have been used for other purposes.
“I have consistently opposed using local funds for federal responsibilities, as I firmly believe that local tax dollars should not be used to compensate for federal ineptness,” wrote Desmond. “These funds should have been directed toward tackling urgent issues within our county, such as homelessness and public safety.”
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