Migrant shelters along the Texas-Mexico border, which once housed thousands of asylum seekers daily, are now seeing a dramatic drop in arrivals. The decline follows the U.S. government’s stricter border policies that have effectively shut the door to most asylum seekers. Some shelters are preparing to close by the end of the month due to the low numbers.
In McAllen, the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley’s respite center has seen arrivals drop to fewer than 12 people per day, with a projected total of under 350 migrants for February—down from over 3,000 in January. Similarly, Annunciation House in El Paso has only around 40 people in its shelters, prompting closures across its network, with just one or two locations expected to remain open.
The decrease in migrant arrivals began even before the U.S. elections, influenced by Mexico’s stricter immigration enforcement and executive orders limiting asylum applications. The Migrant Resource Center in San Antonio has already stopped accepting new arrivals, while El Paso’s Casa del Sagrado Corazon closed last September due to the decline.
Adding to the crisis, McAllen’s respite center recently lost federal funding through the Shelter and Services Program, which had helped cover its operational costs. Despite financial challenges, Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of RGV Catholic Charities, affirmed that the shelter would remain open as long as there is a need, emphasizing the church’s commitment to supporting migrants.