Why are so many migrants living in squalor on El Paso streets?

The sidewalks outside Sacred Heart Church were overflowing with hundreds of migrants wrapped around the blocks circling the Downtown church.

The migrants, which number well over 600, created makeshift tents with blankets to block the sun during the day and provide some warmth during cold nights where temperatures dipped into the mid-60s. Others were forced to spend the nights sleeping without blankets, sleeping bags, jackets or shoes.

"It has been difficult," Jesus Betancourt, who traveled to the U.S. from Venezuela with his wife, his 11-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, said Wednesday. "The journey was very difficult. We have been here (El Paso) for two days. We are just hoping to be able to go farther, so I can find a job. We have been sleeping on the floor in the cold and we are hungry.

"All of our family is in Venezuela. We just want to move farther into the U.S. to find work and be safe."

Betancourt's struggles raised two major questions about local efforts to address migrants living in squalor on city streets: What can church leaders do to expand shelter capacities and how can local authorities address migrants in the country illegally?

City preparing for arrival of up to 10,000 migrants

The city estimates there are about 1,800 migrants currently at Sacred Heart Church, El Paso mayor Oscar Leeser said.

There are an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 migrants on Juárez streets, Leeser said during a Thursday news briefing. A caravan with 3,500 migrants is expected to arrive May 11 or May 12, he said.

More: Migrants take refuge in Downtown after 'state of emergency' declared by El Paso mayor

Many of the migrants outside Sacred Heart this week entered the country illegally. They are seeking to be processed by federal immigration officials so they can move forward into the U.S.

Annunciation House director Ruben Garcia, who helps manage the nonprofit shelter network in the Borderland, said the thousands of unprocessed migrants need to be sheltered in hospitality sites connected to churches to avoid being detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

"We’re very much aware of the people who are in the Sacred Heart area," Garcia said. "We need shelters that provide hospitality to the unprocessed. It needs to be hospitality sites connected to churches. Because, as has been reiterated, the Border Patrol has a longstanding policy that they will not go into churches, funeral homes, schools, social service agencies and emergency rooms unless they are called in. The Border Patrol has been very articulate about saying, ‘That is our policy.’"

Overflow of migrants at Sacred Heart Church

City officials acknowledged that Sacred Heart is struggling to handle the overflow of migrants.

Catholic Diocese of El Paso officials released a brief statement about their plans to add more shelter space for migrants.

“The diocese is in constant communication with Sacred Heart Parish in downtown El Paso and is always looking to best support the church and the migrants in need,” the statement said. “The Catholic Church in El Paso is taking concrete steps to alleviate the high numbers of persons in the downtown area, but this unique situation will require a strong collaborative response from the broader community, including our local government, NGOs and civic leaders.”

The diocese did not elaborate on its plans.

The scene at Sacred Heart is similar to what the El Paso Opportunity Center for the Homeless, located at 1208 Myrtle Ave., near Downtown, has seen over the past few days. The center has reached its capacity with 200 migrants inside their shelter with about another 700 migrants outside sleeping on the sidewalks Tuesday night, said John Martin, center director.

"It varies between the day, but last night (May 2) when I walked down the alley there was approximately 700," Martin said.

The increase of migrants seen in El Paso the last few days was unexpected, Martin said. Officials were expecting large numbers of migrants to come into the U.S. after May 11 when the Title 42 pandemic law expires.

"We're continuing to serve a mixed status population, so we're working with both documented, as well as the unprocessed," Martin said. "We are right now trying to sort of figure out what our role and responsibilities are going to be going forward because what we're currently seeing right now was a bit of a surprise. This is happening much earlier than what we expected."

City preps vacant EPISD schools to house migrants

Organizations housing migrants are looking to the city of El Paso to help find enough shelter for the hundreds of migrants already in the area and thousands more expected to cross next week.

More: Migrants take refuge in Downtown after 'state of emergency' declared by El Paso mayor

City officials are working to open shelters for the migrants as quickly as they can, city of El Paso spokesperson Laura Cruz-Acosta said. However, the city's funding for sheltering migrants is only for migrants who have been processed already, she said.

"We are working to stand up city-operated temporary shelters as quickly as possible, but this does take time," Cruz-Acosta said. "However, it should be noted that it is our understanding that the majority of people out on the street are unprocessed individuals, and we are unable to shelter unprocessed folks or else we place our federal funding at risk. "

Bassett Middle School in Central El Paso and Morehead Middle School on the West Side, both of which are currently vacant, are being prepped to open early next week, officials said. Each of the schools can house roughly 1,000, Cruz-Acosta said.

There are no current plans to "activate" the Judson F. Williams Convention Center in Downtown to house migrants, she added.

To help shelter migrants who have not been processed, the city is working with non-governmental organizations and faith-based organizations to increase their capacities, Cruz-Acosta said.

"We are coordinating with NGO’s and the National Red Cross to increase capacity and adding additional NGO shelter sites to help this largely undocumented population get off the streets for their own safety," Cruz-Acosta said.

The aid from the Red Cross includes staffing, supplies and equipment needed to help the organizations increase their capacities.

Red Cross resources are being targeted at church facilities, especially at Sacred Heart, city officials said.

Non-governmental organizations and faith-based organizations are also working on developing a communication strategy to persuade migrants to move into shelters, Cruz-Acosta added.

More: Border Patrol in El Paso warns migrants against making risky illegal crossings

Migrant Manuel Sanchez, a Venezuelan, arrived in El Paso May 1 and has been camping outside Sacred Heart Church since then.

"We are still waiting to be processed," Sanchez said. "They told me I needed a permit in order to travel, so I am waiting for that. We haven't heard anything about shelters. We have just been sleeping in the cold on the sidewalks.

"Of course, we would go if offered a shelter to go to. It was very cold last night."

El Paso mayor: City enforcing no-camping law

City officials declared a "state of emergency" April 30, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. May 1. The state of emergency will last seven days before it goes to the City Council to be ratified for 30 days, Leeser said Sunday.

Leeser emphasized that El Paso police will not enforce immigration law, which is a federal purview. However, the city will be enforcing no-camping laws at migrant campsites. Leeser said no citations have been issued to any migrants.

"The enforcement of no-camping laws comes in the form of education while doing the daily clean-ups and not allowing permanent structures to be set up," Cruz-Acosta said. "The areas are broken down to facilitate cleaning of the area and migrants are told camping is not allowed.  When clean sweeps are being performed staff are picking up items on the ground that are left unattended and strewn across the area, i.e., items that appear to be discarded, abandoned and left in cast-off heaps."

The enforcement of the no-camping laws comes as concerns about migrant camps on city sidewalks could foster crime, health and safety hazards if left to grow, officials said. There were five calls tied to migrant camps regarding the exploitation of young women and drugs over the weekend, Leeser said.

Food, clothing donations needed

The El Paso Opportunity Center for the Homeless is seeking donations from El Pasoans to help meet the needs of the migrants, Martin said.

"We do need support from the community," Martin said. "Our primary need at this point is food related. We're asking for staples such as beans, rice and protein, whether that be chicken or beef."

Shoes and toiletries are always in high demand, Martin said. Unused undergarments including socks and underwear for both men and women are being sought, he added.

Donations can be dropped at El Paso Opportunity Center for the Homeless, 1208 Myrtle Ave. Donors are asked to call the center prior to bringing the items. Center officials can be contacted at 915-577-0069 or at homelessopportunitycenter.org.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Migrants continue to overflow on to streets as end of Title 42 nears