San Antonio City Council Votes in Favor of Keeping Migrant Resource Center Open
In a significant move, the San Antonio City Council, excluding District 10’s Marc Whyte, cast their votes on Thursday to apply for $21.8 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure the purchasereamblence of operations at San Antonio’s Migrant Resource Center.
Drop in Migrant Activity
The center, although registering a dip in activity in recent months due to stiff border policies in Texas and the Mexican government’s more stringent control over migrants traversing the country, has been pivotal in the upkeep of migrant welfare. The city data projects that the inflow of migrants this month has declined to a nadir at 1,705, since the center first started its operations in the summer of 2022.
Divergent Views on Migration
Though the center’s relevance, given the waning numbers, was questioned by conservative council member Whyte who proposed that migrants would desist from passing through San Antonio if the facility was not in existence. “I am all for us being a compassionate city and a compassionate city council. Compassion is a value that our city should live by and this council should strive for. But my problem is when our quest to be compassionate leans over making decisions that I do not believe are in the best interest of the residents of San Antonio,” reasoned Whyte.
Contrarily, District 9 Councilman John Courage underscored the unpredictability of the migrant influx which could surge any moment. “Imagine if the MRC is closed down tomorrow, and we continue to see thousands of people coming across the border and being directed to San Antonio, to go from here to other places. I’m concerned about the public disorder,” expressed Courage.
San Antonio & Its Connection with Migrants
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez defied Whyte’s argument by attributing San Antonio’s attraction for migrants to various reasons and not restricted to the Migrant Resource Center. With the rise in migrant arrivals even before the center was constructed and the subsequent chaos due to the influx, it was this perturbing scenario that drove the city to establish this facility in the first place.
San Antonio Eyes FEMA Funds
In light of these varying perspectives, the city council’s vote has paved the way for San Antonio to vie for $18.8 million in grants from FEMA, slated to be used to operate the center until September 2026. Beyond that, the vote also proposes to reimburse the city for the $3 million it invested in managing the center. “This is really simple: if we don’t vote yes on this today, then that federal money isn’t used to compensate us for the cost we’ve already paid,” asserted District 8 Councilman and mayoral aspirant Manny Pelaez.