Vacant schools, Convention Center being prepared to house migrants
EL PASO - City and EPISD officials say they will use two vacant schools as temporary migrant shelters for migrants.
The Office of Emergency Management said it will prepare the former Bassett Middle School in Central El Paso and the former Morehead Middle School in West El Paso for priority use for women, children and families.
Title 42 - a Trump-Era health-related policy used to expel asylum seekers, is expected to be lifted in the near future. Officials are anticipating a surge of migrants once the policy is lifted, which could lead to large numbers of migrants be left on the streets of El Paso.
City officials say they are also preparing the City's Convention Center as another facility that will allow them to shelter migrants.
In addition to those efforts, city officials say they are also using three hotels as emergency shelters to keep migrants off the streets amid the freezing temperatures the borderland is experiencing at night.
Earlier this week, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said the expenses will continue to get reimbursed by the federal government and didn't expect these efforts to affect taxpayers.
OEM is working with various agencies including the American Red Cross, United Way, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, Salvation Army, and others to provide essential services such as food, bathrooms, showers, toiletries, and clothes.
