Blog Header

In: immigrants

Venezuelan Couple Fleeing Political Persecution Finds Hope at SoCal Migrant Shelter

ABC 7

June 14, 2024

While thousands of people seeking asylum in the U.S. wait in shelters in Mexico, hundreds who have already been granted the opportunity to begin that process through the CBP One app have found a safe landing place at the San Diego Rapid Response Network migrant shelter operated by Jewish Family Service of San Diego. Read the story of one family who escaped political persecution and found safety at the SDRRN migrant shelter.

Read Story

San Diego Is a Top Spot for Border Crossings. How Many People Arrive Only to Become Homeless?

The San Diego Union-Tribune

June 8, 2024

As San Diego remains the top spot for border crossings and struggles with limited shelter space for asylum seekers, many individuals find themselves on the streets, ultimately becoming part of the city's homeless system. "Providing respite shelter actually prevents individuals from being on the streets," said Kate Clark, Senior Director of Immigration Services at Jewish Family Service. "We are unfortunately caught between two broken systems: the immigration system and the homeless system."

Read Story

This Mother’s Day: Continued Mistreatment of Pregnant People in CBP Custody Prompts Renewed Calls for Change

SDRRN

May 10, 2024

Today, on Mexican Mother’s Day, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at the UCLA School of Law, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties (ACLUF-SDIC) sent a Mother’s Day petition signed by more than 870 advocacy organizations and individuals to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Troy Miller. The petition demands changes in CBP policy to minimize harm to people who are pregnant, postpartum and nursing in the agency’s custody.

Read Story

Migrant Drop Offs Continue in San Diego Despite Influx of Federal Funds

KPBS

April 25, 2024

Earlier this month, the San Diego region was given nearly $40 million from the federal government’s Shelter and Services Program to help the migrant population. The money is split in half between San Diego County and Catholic Charities of San Diego and Jewish Family Service, organizations that has run migrant shelters in San Diego for years. Now that the money has been awarded, advocates want to see a collaborative approach between all levels of government and local service providers to come up with a lasting migrant welcome program.

Read Story

$39.2 in Federal Funding Awarded to San Diego Region to Address Influx of Asylum Seekers

CBS 8

April 25, 2024

FEMA announced our region will receive more than $39 million as part of its Shelter and Services program, half of which the county is getting directly. "There is a gap of about $11.8 million, even just to maintain the existing infrastructure that we have in our community. And so again, it's really a critical opportunity for the county to come alongside organizations like Jewish Family Service and Catholic Charities, in addition to those advocates and organizations that are supporting for the folks that are being released to the streets of San Diego,” said Kate Clark, Senior Director of Immigration Services at JFS.

Read Story

Federal Money for Migrant Services on Hold

Fox 5 San Diego

April 25, 2024

Jewish Family Service says it has helped 200,000 migrants in transit through San Diego County since 2018, providing them with temporary shelter, meals and transportation to their final destinations across the U.S. When county funding ran out in late February, JFS did not stop aiding asylum-seekers. “Organizations like Jewish Family Service in San Diego, Catholic Charities, Immigrant defenders, Al Otro Lado, Haitian Bridge Alliance, the list goes on for organizations that continue to step forward in the absences of funding,” said Kate Clark, Senior Director of Immigration Services with JFS. Learn more on how you can help ensure San Diego remains a welcoming place for those in search of a safer life—free from violence and persecution.

Read Story

Migrant Services Group Calls on County for ‘Seat at the Table’ in Deciding How to Spend Federal Funds

The San Diego Union-Tribune

April 25, 2024

Local migrant services groups are urging San Diego County leaders to collaborate with those working directly with migrants on the ground before deciding how to spend its recent $19.6 millions allocation from the federal government. “It is our expectation that we’re able to think through a regional plan that hopefully gets to a place of avoiding street releases,” said Kate Clark, senior director of immigration services for Jewish Family Service of San Diego, “but in order to do that, the organizations that are closest to the work really need to inform the county how they can put forth a plan to the federal government to use these funds.”

Read Story

San Diego Migrant Advocacy Groups Seek Role in Decisions Over $39 Million in New Federal Funds

Times of San Diego

April 25, 2024

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it would offer $39.2 million in new federal funding to the San Diego region as part of its Shelter and Services Program. But there are now concerns that the very groups which built these advocacy networks locally are being left out of discussion. Learn more on how you can help ensure San Diego remains a welcoming place for those in search of a safer life—free from violence and persecution.

Read Story

Miles4Migrants, Jewish Family Service, and San Diego Rapid Response Network Join Forces to Aid Migrants at the US-Mexico Border

October 4, 2023

Miles4Migrants, Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFSSD), and San Diego Rapid Response Network (SDRRN) have teamed up to provide essential aid to asylum seekers left vulnerable on the streets of San Diego. This collaborative effort aims to facilitate 150 flights per week, offering a lifeline to these individuals and families, reuniting them with their loved ones across the United States.

Read Story