EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso County will be winding down migrant services that it offers and is planning to close its Migrant Support Services Center at the end of December, the County announced on Monday, Nov. 25.
The move is largely being driven by uncertainty surrounding the new federal administration led by President-elect Trump that will be taking office in January, the County said in its news release.
Since 2022, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent the County approximately $29 million in Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) funds to the County to help asylum seekers traveling through the El Paso community, the County said.
No local tax dollars have been spent assisting asylum seekers, the County added.
Now, the County is taking what it is calling “precautionary measures” due to the uncertainty of support and funding under the new Trump Administration, the County said.
Starting January 2025, the new FEMA Shelter and Services Program (SSP) for humanitarian response will take effect which means rather than advancing funds to communities, it is on a reimbursement basis for eligible expenses, the County said.
As a result, costs incurred by the County for humanitarian efforts beginning Jan. 1 may not be reimbursed if the new administration redirects or repurposes funds within the program, the County said.
Opened in October 2022, the Migrant Support Services Center was established by El Paso County to “provide crucial support to individuals seeking asylum in the United States,” the County said.
“The center facilitates travel coordination for asylum seekers directly released by the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), offering humanitarian support and a vital lifeline during their journey into the United States,” the County said.
Operating as a 365-day service from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including holidays, the center was initially designed to aid single adults released by CBP. However, it has expanded its services to include families when local non-governmental organizations reached capacity, ensuring that no asylum seeker is left without assistance or released to the streets, the County said.
Since launching operations in October 2022, the County has assisted more than 115,000 asylum seekers. It has provided financial support to five shelters – the Rescue Mission, the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, the Salvation Army, Sacred Heart Church, and World Victory, using FEMA Funds.
“This achievement underscores the critical role the center and the County have played in the lives of tens of thousands, highlighting its pivotal position in the ongoing effort to humanely welcome and support those in desperate need. The El Paso region has been recognized nationally and internationally by immigration advocates as a model for collaboration, communication, and coordination in addressing asylum seeker humanitarian efforts,” the County said.
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