The City of McAllen, Texas, inundated by what it calls “the shockingly large number of immigrants released by CBP” into its community, has declared a local State of Disaster. According to an official statement released on August 4, the Humanitarian Respite Center operated by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, had until recently been able to “process the flow of immigrants released into McAllen, keeping them off the streets.” (For our report on the closing of the Respite Center to new clients, see “In McAllen, No Room and No Respite.”)
“However, in the last several weeks, [the statement continues] due to the shockingly large number of immigrants released by CBP, the Respite Center’s capacity became overwhelmed, and threatened its ability to provide its humanitarian services to all in
need. This significant change increases the threat of COVID spread or other lawlessness within the city. [Emphasis added]”
The City’s statement notes that since mid-February more than 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 positive immigrants have been released into the community by the CBP, including more than 1,500 new cases in the past week alone.
Due to this “drastic, unexpected, increase of immigrants,” the City’s disaster declaration calls for authorities to:
- Request that Hidalgo County erect a temporary emergency shelter in the city
- Demand that the federal government provide relief for the “alarming number of immigrants that are being released”
- Assist local non-governmental organizations to expand their operations and identify additional locations for emergency shelters if needed
The statement concludes with the following:
The City of McAllen, known for its safety and security, did not create nor invite this crisis, but it will swiftly respond and take every action within its power to protect the health and safety of its residents.
For more, see “City of McAllen Approves Setting Up Temporary Emergency Shelter in Response to Migrant Surge.”