HOUSTON — The head of a Houston migrant shelter expects their numbers could more than double once Title 42 expires.
“Right now, we’re at two buses at the moment,” said Karina Hernandez, Director of the Houston Transfer Center. “Next week, we’ll probably be increasing to three or four. So, probably after that, five, but that’s gonna be our capacity.”
Catholic Charities has been running their temporary shelter at undisclosed hotels near Bush Intercontinental Airport since October 2022. It offers migrants a place to get food, clothing, toiletries, and a place to rest before flying to their final destination in the United States.
The migrants come from facilities in El Paso, Eagle Pass, and from Casa Juan Diego in Houston, which is overcapacity. They’ve been processed by Border Patrol and allowed to stay in the U.S. for now.
Most arrive at the shelter with transportation already arranged and paid for.
“Ninety-nine percent that arrive… when they arrive in the morning, they are flying out that afternoon,” said Hernandez.
Each migrant must have a sponsor.
“That means they have a family member or friend that could shelter them, take care of them until their court date, which some of them could be in a few weeks or several months,” said Hernandez.
Federal dollars cover the shelter’s costs.
Hernandez says at some point in the upcoming week, she’ll be asking for more funds.
The top three destinations for migrants at the transitional shelter are New York, Chicago, then Houston.
The next bus will arrive Wednesday morning from Eagle Pass.