Riv. Co. Only Non-Border County Receiving Title 42 Migrant Drop-Offs

Riverside County is the only non-border county in the nation that’s receiving drop-offs by the US Customs and Border Protection.

It’s been five days since the expiration of Title 42 and busloads of over 200 migrants are still being dropped off throughout the county on a daily basis, including right here in the desert.

For an area that isn’t involved with immigration policies, resources are strained.

“We only have a finite number of resources,” Riverside County Director of Communications Brooke Federico explained. “That’s a finite number of personnel and beds available and support. If numbers were to continue to increase, which at this point, we haven’t seen, we could get to the point where we just aren’t able to provide services because we don’t have enough resources.”

Luckily, numbers have remained steady, which means migrants can still receive humanitarian safety net services including at the Galilee Center in Mecca.

“We provide shelter, restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities so they can clean up,” Galilee Center CFO and Co-Founder Claudia Castorena said. “We offer the space so they can rest for the average stay between 24 and 36 hours. We help them to get in touch with their sponsor so they can start that process of traveling, whether by bus or by airplane.”

All to help these people desperate to seek asylum.

“Well the part I came from in Colombia, I have been getting death threats so that’s why I came looking for refuge in this country for the safety of my husband and daughter,” a migrant shared.

And the county is doing everything they can to help.

“We pick up the families and individuals from border patrol, we provide mental health screenings, medical screenings, and testing for COVID 19 if they have symptoms,” Federico continued. “We’ve also been working with elected officials in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. to advocate for complete funding, which we have received commitment for. We’re one step in their journey to their final destination”

These migrants aren’t just from Central and South America.

They’re from Ghana, India, Pakistan, Ukraine, China and so on.

If you’d like to support these migrants, you can donate anything from hygiene supplies to clothes to the Galilee Center in Mecca.