Dallas church serves as next stop for asylum seekers
DALLAS (NewsNation) — While the Supreme Court ruled to keep Title 42 remains in place, for now, an overflow of migrants has begun to trickle to other parts of Texas as activists step in to help alleviate the crisis.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church has accepted migrants from the border for years. They church is preparing to host about 150 more migrants Wednesday.
Like many shelters, the church works with humanitarian organizations to serve as a second stop from the border where shelters may be full, like in El Paso or ICE Detention Centers.
Migrants are bused to the church and volunteers help coordinate travel — a bus ticket or a plane ticket to wherever they have family or friends to stay within the United States while they wait for immigration proceedings.
While they’re at the church, migrants are provided with food, clothes and a place to sleep. Then, they’re transported to an airport or bus depot.
Last week, Oak Lawn United Methodist accepted 30 migrants from ICE Detention Centers and the border, mostly single men from many countries including China, Turkey and Russia. No families arrived at the time.
Volunteers said many of them were exhausted; they had a long and dangerous journey to get to the U.S. and then a 10-hour bus ride from El Paso to Dallas.
“In the past, we’ve received people from India, Russia, Georgia,” said Almas Muscatwalla, with Dallas Response. “sometimes you just wonder how they make it.”
“Our country is not the best; it’s not a good situation. There’s no future; I’m here for a better future,” said Luis Alberto, from Nicaragua.
Alberto is trying to get to Miami where his mother, who he hasn’t seen in 17 years, lives. This was his second attempt at trying to cross the border. The first time he didn’t make it and had to return to Nicaragua.