SLRC migrant shelter sees an increase in families
SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Sonora. ( KYMA, KECY ) - Migrant shelters in San Luis Rio Colorado (SLRC), Sonora, are filling up to capacity, according to the director of Casa Del Migrante.
“From the 15 to 20 people that we would help, now we help over 40 people in the morning and in the afternoon," said Martin Salgado, the Director of the shelter.
The director of the shelter says he is noticing more Ecuadorian migrants coming to the southern border. According to several news sources, Ecuador is one of the hardest-hit countries in Latin America due to the coronavirus outbreak.
He said when the Trump administration announced a halt on asylum cases, those waiting for their numbers to be called at the port of entry stayed with hope. While thousands more continued to flee their countries. “We now have 15 Cubans and 3 Salvoradians, and some people from Ecuador," said Salgado.
Salgado tells News 11 there are over 40 families at the shelter. Each person's temperatures are being checked twice a day. “We keep a lot of the groups separated in the different dorms. And to the homeless, we give them to-go meals," said Salgado.
SLRC has surpassed as the city with the highest cases of COVID-19 in the state of Sonora.
The border town's fatality rate due to the outbreak is continuing to rise.
Martin said he does not see this ending soon. He fears that with the ongoing battle against COVID-19, the administration will continue to change immigration policies, impacting shelters across the southern border.
“Before the pandemic, we were serving over two- thousand meals to people, and now that number has more than doubled to over five-thousand," said Salgado.
