San Diego is the largest land border crossing in the world and has been a highly active location for deportations, rights violations, and abuse by Customs Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The SDRRN was activated to respond to increased immigration enforcement activities within San Diego County and humanitarian issues arising at the border, including widespread family separation and unjust deportation of asylum seekers presenting at the Port-of-Entry.
To view the Core Partners, Legal Partners, and Participating Organizations, please click here.
We Need Your Support
Families are arriving in our community in desperate need of our help. They have traveled hundreds, if not thousands of miles to flee violence, suffering, and persecution in their homelands in search of a safer, better life.
Immigration authorities are releasing these families after being vetted by Homeland Security in San Diego and giving them the right to live in the U.S. while they await the outcome of their application for asylum.
GoFundMe Campaign – Migrant Family Shelter
A migrant shelter was started in late October 2018 to provide meals, medical care, legal services, and travel aid to 200 individuals; nearly 50-60 families a day. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by the San Diego Rapid Response Network to raise funds for the shelter to maintain its daily operation and provide basic necessities, such as food, blankets and bedding, portable showers, baby/children needs and toilets. Our current location will house the shelter until the end of December 2019, but requires substantial support for to maintain. The funding will also help SDRRN provide free legal representation for these families and fund bond fees. Learn more in our Newsroom.
To donate and share, visit GoFundMe.com/MigrantReliefSD.
Donate Needed Items
Shop our Amazon wish list to contribute specific items that the shelter needs.
In The News
Dozens of Aslyum Seekers Returned to Mexico Under Trump Policy Gain Entry to U.S.
April 11, 2019
Montana radio station “The Mighty 790” examines the court order halting a Trump administration policy of sending asylum-seekers back across the border. Migrants are now able to await their hearing in the U.S, and our supervising immigration attorney, Luis Gonzalez, talks about how this change is affecting families.
Click here to read the KFGO News story
CEO Michael Hopkins Appears on KUSI’s San Diego People
April 7, 2019
Since the end of the Safe Release program, migrant families are being dropped off on the streets without any resources. ABC 10 reporter Matt Boone explains how JFS stepped up to create a shelter for asylum-seekers and help them with travel plans as they await a court date.
Click here to read the KUSI News story
Where Federal Government Falls Short, San Diego Agencies Fill in to Help Migrants
April 5, 2019
Since the end of the Safe Release program, migrant families are being dropped off on the streets without any resources. ABC 10 reporter Matt Boone explains how JFS stepped up to create a shelter for asylum-seekers and help them with travel plans as they await a court date.
Click here to read the ABC 10 story
‘Remain in Mexico’ policy for migrants creating ambiguity, fear
April 5, 2019
Leah Chavarria, our Senior Immigration Lawyer, is interviewed about the Administration’s plans to expand the program beyond the San Diego-Tijuana corridor
Click here to read the Roll Call story
US expands ‘catch and release’ amid surge in migrants
April 2, 2019
Immigration lawyers struggle to navigate return-to-Mexico policy
March 31, 2019
The Administration’s policy of requiring some asylum seekers to stay in Mexico for the duration of their immigration hearing is spurring confusion among migrants and immigration lawyers who are trying to represent them. JFS immigration attorneys speak to the difficulty of working with clients under the new policy.
Click here to read the CNN article
County Nurses Screen Asylum-seeking Families at Temporary Shelter
March 27, 2019
The County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency created a video showing the work they do for asylum-seekers in the shelter operated with Jewish Family Service. We would like to thank them and the hardworking nurses who conduct health screenings for these families and individuals seeking asylum.
Click here to watch the video from The County of San Diego
Supervisors Greg Cox and Nathan Fletcher Joined JFS CEO Michael Hopkins to Provide an Update on Shelter for Asylum-Seeking Families, Offer Media Tours
March 27, 2019
Press coverage regarding announcement:
MSN News | AM 760 KFMB | The CW San Diego | ABC 10News | Voice of San Diego | KQED | KPBS | San Diego Union-Tribune | Times of San Diego | KUSI | CBS 8 | Fox 5 San Diego | NBC San Diego | Univision San Diego | Telemundo 20 | Courthouse News
