Scarce resources for Haitian migrants in San Luis Rio Colorado

A month since the arrival of hundreds of Haitian migrants in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, local authorities say they’re running low on resources.

Casa del Migrante is one of the few migrant shelter homes in town. The shelter says they’ve recently started turning migrants away because they don’t have the resources to help them.

Miguel Padilla Rochin, of the Mexican Red Cross, says the shelter was designed to only house recently deported migrants over night.

“They usually stay there for a night, then start on their journey back home the next morning,” said Rochin, ” they are usually provided with breakfast, but that’s it.”

According to Rochin, there are more than 100 Haitian migrants currently staying at the home. They’ve arrived from southern Mexico and are waiting to make their case in front of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for a political asylum.

Rochin says Mexican immigration officials are working with their American counterparts to track the migrants and create an organized system to process the arriving migrants. Upon arriving in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexican immigration officials assign each person a number, then people wait their turn. Rochin says priority is given women and children.

But U.S. immigration officials are being overwhelmed by the number of migrants seeking political asylum, according to Rochin. He says, it’s the increasing wait times that are beginning to strain aid resources in San Luis Rio Colorado, a city which has never really dealt with a migrant population.

Despite it all, many local residents in San Luis RC say they’re concerned and want to help out.

The Mexican Red Cross says they are accepting new or gently worn clothing, non-perishable food items, diapers, personal hygiene items, trash bags, and water. They say they are not accepting cash at this time.