DALLAS — Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins is trying to free the Texas border from politics.
The county judge said he's working with local nonprofits to find a way to relieve stress from charitable organizations in El Paso and along the Rio Grande. Those shelters on the Texas border are “at a tipping point,” Jenkins said.
If the agencies can organize fast enough, Dallas could begin housing asylum seekers in June, Jenkins said.
“This is not a policy debate; these are people,” he said Friday.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol apprehended 109,144 people along the southwest border in April. El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley have, by far, the highest number of apprehensions.
When federal agents determine that a migrant might have a credible claim for asylum, the migrant is released, pending a court hearing.
Jenkins said most of those migrants have a planned destination, but they need some basic help before they can make that journey.
“The faith-based community locations are overrun at the border and they need a place that provides short term respite,” Jenkins said.
The effort to bring asylum seekers to Dallas would be privately funded. No government money is expected to be used.
Jenkins is helping coordinate nonprofits in Dallas, hoping to create a network of agencies – some providing shelter, others providing clothing or food – that can open short-term shelters in Dallas County and take the burden off the border.
“People are there usually anywhere from six to 60 hours,” he said.
Jenkins said the people coming to the city shouldn't alarm residents.
“These are asylum seekers who the Trump administration has already determined can be released on their own recognizance here in America,” Jenkins said. “These are people the federal government has determined have a preliminary case that’s credible for asylum.”
He added, “We’re trying to stabilize them and get them to their ultimate destination and provide relief to the overrun resources on the border.”
Dallas-based Buckner International is one of the nonprofits offering to help.
President and CEO Albert Reyes said while the nonprofit children’s charity cannot provide a physical shelter, it can and has reached out to its network of agencies to find a group that can.
“There are 400 churches we are connected to right here in North Texas. We can do an inventory to see if there is space for five hours to 60 hours of housing,” Reyes said. “We can supply shoes and other crisis emergency relief. We have perishable goods, non-perishable goods, clothing.”
Donations to border agencies would cover the cost of busing the migrants from the border to Dallas. Once they arrive here, local donations would cover the rest.
Reyes said Buckner International is already working in some of the Central American countries that are in crisis. They hope if they can improve life for families there, they will feel less of a need to move north.
But if they do cross the border, Reyes said, Buckner International feels called to help.
“We’re not condoning any political view,” Reyes said. “We’re just saying, ‘Boy, if I was in your position, I’d hope you’d give me something to drink and eat.'”
“That’s what Jesus said. ‘When I was hungry, you gave me food. When I was thirsty you gave me something to drink…When you’ve done it to these, you’ve done it to me,’” Reyes said. “So, why wouldn’t we do that? As good citizens of the city of Dallas, why wouldn’t we do that?”