Migrants without asylum claim documents not allowed to shelter at El Paso Convention Center

EL PASO, Texas -- Migrants still line the streets of downtown El Paso tonight despite the Convention Center opening its doors to migrants Wednesday evening.

ABC-7 crews saw families with young children on the streets all doing their best to stay warm. Wearing beanies and sweatpants.

Many of the migrants said their preparing for the cold by bundling up in jackets, sleeping on cardboard to avoid the cold pavement, and of course, wrapping themselves in lots of blankets. 

With the Convention Center opening its doors to migrants just blocks away some migrants told us their reason for staying on the cold street tonight.

"They have permission, we don't," said Mary.

"Many are saying that those people are the ones that have their papers or the ones that are here legally," said Alejandra.

We reached out to the city to see if some migrants are being denied entry to the Convention Center. This was the response:

"All individuals in our community must abide by local, state, and federal policies and laws. We also must follow the same policies and laws. So, staff at the convention center is verifying that the migrants using the shelter services at the convention center have the forms DHS/CHP provides once they have been processed at the ports of entry," said Laura Cruz, the spokeswoman for the City of El Paso.