Faith groups in Tijuana rise to meet needs of migrant caravan
In addition to the thousands who arrived with the caravan, people deported from the U.S. have been living in Tijuana—sometimes on the streets.
The bulk of the migrant caravan that started out from Central America this fall reached the U.S.-Mexico border in early December, and the city of Tijuana is overwhelmed by the arrival of more than 6,000 people, many hoping to gain political asylum in the United States.
Although accustomed to constant traffic across the border, Tijuana was not fully prepared to accept such a large group for an unknown length of time. Nonetheless, the Central American migrants have seemingly been welcomed thus far, in part thanks to religious groups that are organizing to help manage the sudden influx.
The Salesian Refuge of Tijuana, run by members of the Roman Catholic Salesian order, manages the Padre Chava Refectory, located north of Tijuana, less than 25 feet from the border. The refectory has been serving meals for more than 19 years. Typically, the Salesians serve 800 breakfasts per day to migrants and street people in Tijuana. However, the group plans to offer three meals per day to help the migrant caravan. In early December the group was already serving more than 1,200 breakfasts.
