San Antonio – The parking lot outside the Migrant Resource Center is fairly deserted, a dramatic change from a few months ago when hundreds of migrants were waiting to get in.
“As of today, we barely have anyone here,” said Lori Haney, who works at a mall near the MRC.
Haney has spoken to dozens of migrants since the center opened in 2021.
“Initially they approached us asking for money and food,” Haney said.
But that hasn't happened as often in the past two weeks, she said.
“We started to see less people coming into the stores, less people walking on the sidewalks and in the parking lots,” Haney said.
KSAT spoke with several business owners who said they've seen fewer people.
At least 20,000 migrants passed through San Antonio each month from July to December 2023, according to the city's migration dashboard.
In January 2024, 8,264 migrants passed through. Each subsequent month saw around 6,000 or fewer migrants.
Some say they noticed the drop when President Biden announced an executive order limiting the number of migrants seeking asylum at the border.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar visited the White House to support the order.
Republicans criticized the move and asked why the president waited so long.
As for the Immigrant Resource Center, it could remain open until September 2026 with federal funding.
Haney has seen immigrants struggle and hopes they can get help adjusting.
“They're coming here with no idea of what to really learn, what to know, what to do,” she said, “and they're coming with no personal necessities, no money. A lot of them say they have no money at all. So it's very sad to see that happening.”
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