How San Diego Governments and Resource Networks Are Preparing for a Potential Influx of Migrants at Border

This story was updated on May 3 with a response from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.

With the expiration of Title 42 less than two weeks away communities along the U.S-Mexico border are getting ready for an influx of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. El Paso, Texas declared a state of emergency and in Brownsville, Texas, Customs and Border Protection held exercises at an international bridge to prepare for a possible surge.

So, what's being done to prepare in San Diego County?

Looking through the border fence near the San Ysidro Port of Entry, you can see one of at least three refugee encampments between the port and Imperial Beach.

Demar Phillips and a group of Jamaican nationals call the camp home, for now.

"We’re coming over to make it better because we don’t want to stay in the mess that is Jamaica," Phillips said.

Phillips and most of the group are sleeping on the ground with no cover. It’s cold so they do their best to dress in layers. They have only one portable toilet. Phillips said he's been there since Friday.

As bad as things seem on that side of the fence for these migrants, things might not get much better should they be permitted into the U.S. after May 11 because resources here are so scarce.

"We are over-saturated and I am getting calls from other shelters that are also looking to refer families to us," Alberto Melchor With the Safe Harbors Network said.

"We are at capacity," Paul Armstrong with San Diego Rescue Mission said. "So every night we are full. Sometimes we will go for additional beds.”

And Father Joe’s Village, the largest of the homeless resource networks, is at 95% capacity, according to officials there.

"I hope we don’t just react to crisis," Armstrong said. "So my hope is our officials will come up with a plan and be proactive."

NBC 7 also reached out to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's office for details about the city's plan. In part of a statement sent Wednesday, Mayor Todd Gloria told NBC 7:

"The city will continue to support the County, which is developing a plan to address impacts on our communities. I have met directly with Customs and Border Protection in Washington D.C. and in San Diego to articulate the City's concern that we simply don't have the resources to address an influx of migrants and need significant support to address the looming crisis at the southwestern border."

A San Diego County spokesperson told NBC 7 that the situation at the border it is the responsibility of the state and federal governments, but the county is prepared to help if asked.

"Just like the rest of the public, we really look forward to seeing it and really hoping our local government will step up to ensure everybody’s rights are protected," said Lillian Serrano with the Southern Border Communities Coalition, which advocates for the humane treatment of migrants.

Jewish Family Services, which takes much of the responsibility for the care of migrant groups moving through San Diego issued this statement:

"We will continue to call for essential collaboration and communication between all levels of government and other partner organizations to ensure no one stands alone in our community.”

Safe Harbors is reaching out to the community for help, asking anyone who meets the requirements and has the room to house migrants and their families temporarily.

"It is a big ask, right? You are asking someone to bring another family or individual into your home," Melchor said.

Customs and Border Protection statistics show an increase of approximately 10,000 encounters with migrants along the southwest land border from January to March of this year.

"We do need to recognize we don’t have enough shelter capacity and we already have a large transient population so we do need additional resources," Armstrong said.

CBP declined NBC 7's request for an interview but said they will continue to monitor numbers at the border and address the exploitation of migrants by human smugglers.