Non-profit sees uptick in asylum-seekers at border

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Sidewalk School for Children of Asylum Seekers is one non-profit organization that said they are already seeing an increase in asylum-seekers coming to the border.

“The numbers have risen—in this one week alone—but people are coming,” said Felicia Rangel-Samponaro, one of the directors of the Sidewalk School. “It puts a lot more pressure on NGO’s in Reynosa because that’s a lot more people to support.”

Rangel-Samponaro co-founded the Sidewalk School over two years ago to provide food, shelter, safety, and education for immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. It provides these services in Mexican border cities like Matamoros, Reynosa and Juarez.

After the Biden administration announced it will lift Title 42, a public health immigration policy to stop the spread of COVID, now asylum-seekers will no longer be expelled and could possibly request asylum.

Organizations like Rangel-Samponaro ‘s take the lead in providing care, and in some cases, help processing immigrants crossing into the U.S. However, the end of Title 42 on May 23 is raising concerns about resources.

“The bigger concern is once that day does come, what plans or what is going to be put in place to make sure things run smoothly? To make sure there is not a rush to the border you know what I mean?” Rangel-Samponaro said.

Reynosa, Tamaulipas, has become a hotbed for kidnappings that target vulnerable asylum-seekers in the tent camps in the plaza, according to Rangel-Samponaro.

“Reynosa is one of the most dangerous cities in the world, can you imagine sitting in line with your children for 15 or 20 hours,” Rangel-Samponaro said.

Though the Sidewalk School along with other local non-profits has asked for direction from government officials, they have not received any confirmation.

“We’ve asked that from the U.S. government and the Mexican government: what plans do either sides have in place to make sure people are safe as they wait in line on the Mexico side?” Rangel-Samponaro said.

At its peak population, the make-shift Reynosa tent camp held 2,000 people.

It isn’t only Mexican or Central American asylum-seekers coming into the U.S.

Samponaro said the organization is also seeing Ukrainian refugees.

Two brand new shelters have been established in Reynosa through the help of multiple groups including the Sidewalk School, but Rangel-Samponaro said the biggest obstacle they face is funding.

“Two brand new shelters have been built, but to continue to feed everyone and provide all the services that are provided we need funding,” she said.