Regional Center For Border Health provides COVID-19 resources to migrants

As undocumented immigrants continue to come in to the US, one local center is helping with almost everything COVID-19 related - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - When coming into the country, there are plenty of issues that undocumented immigrants will have to deal with.

However, COVID-19 is one of the biggest issues they have.

Thankfully, local resource centers, like the Regional Center For Border Health are able to help.

With so many people coming through the border at once, one might think that COVID-19 would spread easily among those coming into the US.

When migrants come, Border Patrol is directing them to the right resources.One major local center for resources is at the Regional Center For Border Health In Somerton.
The center has been providing COVID-19 tests, vaccines, hotels to quarantine, and even transportation to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Alex Bejarano, the public relations director for the center, says the efforts began earlier this year.

“We were just so concerned about COVID, we didn’t know the status, the positive or negative status, of these refugees coming through so then that’s when we started working with border patrol," Bejarano said.

While the center is currently paying from it’s own pocket to provide these resources, they say they want to continue providing these services.

However, as Bejarano says, they could get money from the federal government.

"We are working with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get some reimbursement for the money that we’ve expended."

Despite the questions surrounding funding, Bejarano also says that the center is happy to do anyways.

"However, there’s a lot of support that our staff is doing and that’s just something we’re doing as a community service, and as a humanitarian."