Local governments spend millions caring for migrants released by Border Patrol

When U.S. Border Patrol agents started releasing illegal migrants at a San Antonio bus station in late March, sometimes in the middle of the night with no warning, Colleen Bridger didn't know what to do.

The assistant city manager wanted to speak with the Border Patrol to figure out what was going on, how to coordinate the drop-off times and how to assess the volume of migrants San Antonio could expect in the future. But because the Texas city is 150 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border and had never dealt with an influx of illegal immigrants before, there was a problem.

"I didn't even know the right department or division or office to call," Bridger said.

Since then, San Antonio has received more than 31,000 migrants released by the Border Patrol after they requested asylum. The city converted a former Quiznos restaurant into a migrant processing center, gave them food and medical screenings, provided cellphones so they could call relatives in the U.S, and partnered with a local church to provide overnight bed space. All told, those efforts have cost San Antonio more than $540,000.

A USA TODAY review of dozens of communities along the border – and some far from it – shows that local governments have spent at least $7 million over the past year to care for thousands of illegal migrants released after being detained by the federal government.

More here

[Democrats and liberal judges have demanded that these people be released, so they are being released. --Editor]