2019 by the Numbers
Bus Backpacks: 18,447
Airport Backpacks: 7,130
Total: 25,577
We have also sent many backpacks to shelters in Nuevo Laredo.
At the end of the year, IWC had 866 volunteers,
3418 followers on our Facebook page,
And 1,850 “subscribers” to our mailchimp mailing list.
Travis Park Church sheltered 22,376 people during the seven months between March 28 and October 20.
At least 32,379 migrants passed through San Antonio.
The food bank served 85,521 meals.
Besides the Food Bank, volunteer groups from churches and
Mobil Loaves and Fishes made 350 double lunches a week for families to take with them on their bus trip.
2,842 received medical care at the pop-up health clinic.
City volunteers served 40,341 at the Migrant Resource Center.
City Council voted unanimously, 11-0, to fund the MRC.
IWC in the News
Only God’s hand has kept us safe
Asylum seekers living in Nuevo Laredo wrote heartbreaking letters telling of kidnapping and death. The envelopes are handmade. (Rosa Flores, CNN) Maximo, an asylum seeker, fled his native Honduras with his son to seek a new life in the United States. But while waiting for their cases to be heard he says they have…
WATCH: Horror stories at the U.S. southern border
IWC Volunteers, consider this your homework before your next shift! This mini-series gives us a better understanding of how much trauma our asylum seekers have gone through. Series made by Anne Lewis and stories are told by Jennifer Harbury, who recounts her encounters with asylum seekers and border patrol. Anne Lewis, the documentarian,…
San Antonio Officials: Migrants From Congo With Ebola Were Not Sent to City
“San Antonio officials were forced to hold a press conference on June 11 to dispel false reports from right-wing figures and conspiracy theory websites that migrants from Congo with Ebola had been sent to the Texas city. San Antonio has seen an influx of Congolese immigrants seeking asylum in recent weeks, and officials did put…
Trump Dumped Thousands of Immigrants in San Antonio. The City’s Response Was a Lesson in Kindness.
“When it’s up close and personal, people do a better job separating the politics from the people.” “Catholic Charities USA and Interfaith Welcome Coalition had been assisting migrants at an average of about 50 a day. This was different. “We had surges of 150, then 250 and 300 people coming in one day,” Bridger said, “and (the…
Network of local churches opening home shelters to support migrants
“A network of local churches that make up the Interfaith Welcome Coalition are helping shelter the influx of migrants traveling through San Antonio. We spoke with a woman from Honduras who used to make and sell her own tortillas. We’re not revealing her identity to protect her safety. She says business was going well, when…
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Impact of public charge and impact on middle class green card applicants.
The real impact of Trump's "public charge" immigration rule - Axios
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The long-expected rule creates a wealth and health test for green card and visa applicants.Judge backs the city’s zoning decision...for now.
Second Baptist denied migrant child facility in San Antonio's East Side - for now
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Second Baptist Church had sought to house migrant children at its community center while legal proce...The FBI Is Investigating Massive Embezzlement of Border Patrol Union Funds — ProPublica
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www.expressnews.com
Mexico’s crackdown on migrants, forced by Trump’s tariff threats, saps the will of thousands who...