Hundreds Of Migrants Released At Bus Station After Aid Money Runs Out

Hundreds of migrants were dropped off on the side of the road in San Diego, California, on Friday after funding for a reception center ran dry, according to The Associated Press.

Border Patrol buses dropped off hundreds of migrants from places like China, Kazakhstan, Ecuador and Rwanda, among other countries, at a San Diego bus stop instead of a county-funded reception center that closed down Thursday after running out of funds, the AP reported. The reception center was run by SBCS, a local nonprofit formerly known as South Bay Community Services, which San Diego County gave $6 million to provide migrants with food, phone charging stations and travel advice, alongside other services.

San Diego, like other major cities, is facing strain amid the country’s ongoing migrant crisis.

The city saw a daily average of 800 illegal-crossing-related arrests in January, including an average of over 100 Chinese migrants a day, according to AP.

SBCS served 81,000 migrants in the county since Oct. 11, the group said, according to the AP. With SBCS’ reception center now closed, Border Patrol said to expect roughly 350 migrants to be released on the streets Friday.

Nora Vargas, chair of the San Diego County board of supervisors, defended the performance of the migrant reception center, which was supposed to stay open until March.

“Nobody is perfect, especially when you’re trying to fill a gap from the federal government,” Vargas said. She recently petitioned the Biden administration for increased support, according to AP.

Vargas isn’t the only official seeking increased federal support as large cities struggle to cope with the influx of migrants. The mayors of New York City and Chicago have asked the Biden administration for financial resources to aid them in handling the migrant crisis.

The San Diego mayor’s office and SBCS did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.