Catholic Community Services’ migrant-aid program, Casa Alitas, has scaled back its role in Pima County’s migrant-aid effort, narrowing its focus to families with children under 10, and other vulnerable migrants, such as pregnant women.
Since July 1, the program has been operating only out of its 140-bed “Welcome Center” on East Ajo Way, which will retain the name Casa Alitas.
Operations at the 650-bed Drexel Center, purchased by Pima County and the state in early 2023, are now handled by the for-profit AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, which provides crisis logistical and healthcare support worldwide.
AMI has provided staffing support for Pima County’s migrant-aid effort over the last year, when unpredictable daily arrival numbers made appropriate staffing a challenge, said Mark Evans, a county spokesman.
“It was 600 (arrivals) today, 300 tomorrow, and 900 the day after that,” he said. “Staffing was becoming a real issue and AMI has been able to help us fill those staffing gaps. It was absolutely critical for the success of the operation in 2023, during the surge crisis.”
Since 2019, half a million asylum seekers have been released in Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties, more than half of those in the last 18 months. In late December, one week topped 1,600 average daily migrant arrivals at Casa Alitas, county records show.
Recently, lower migrant-arrival rates at the southern border has given aid workers more breathing room during the transition.
During the week that ended July 3, Casa Alitas received an average of just 100 asylum seekers daily, compared to 543 average daily arrivals the week that ended May 22.
“We haven’t seen numbers like that since early 2023, late 2022,” Evans said. “So that has also made the transition go smoothly, because we’re not trying to do it in crisis mode.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection leaders have attributed the recent dip in migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border to a combination the effects of the Biden administration’s June executive order dramatically limiting access to asylum for most migrants who enter the U.S. outside official ports of entry, as well as normal seasonal reductions and Mexico’s efforts to slow migration to the U.S. border. Immigration analysts say the dip is likely temporary, as migrants take a “wait-and-see” approach to see how the new policy plays out.
Pima County expects to continue to successfully prevent any street releases of legally processed asylum seekers, who can be released to the community by Border Patrol agents after being processed and assigned an immigration court date.
Asylum seekers shouldn’t experience any disruptions under the new model, said Elena Dwyre, Catholic Community Services CEO.
“This is something we’ve been able to plan and been able to execute with our partners, with Pima County. So I’m happy to say its been a very seamless transition,” she said.
Most asylum seekers — who are in the country legally, after having been apprehended and released by border agents — only spend one to three nights in Tucson before connecting with families and sponsors in other parts of the country. About 97% pay for their own travel.
AMI’s existing contract has been expanded to encompass its new role as Pima County’s primary shelter operator. But a competitive-bidding process for the contract will take place likely in the fall, assuming Pima County continues to act as the fiscal agent for the region’s migrant aid effort and that U.S. legislators agree to continue funding the federal program that has supported the work, Evans said.
Pima County has been the fiscal agent for the region’s migrant-aid program since 2021.
“The coalition of agencies that have come together over the years to manage this issue continues,” said Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher in a news release. “Our overriding goal since the county got involved in this effort in 2019 is to make sure asylum seekers have shelter, food, and travel aid and never have to spend a night on the street. That goal is still being met and won’t be affected by the change in shelter providers.”Casa Alitas staff has reported that the new model is already allowing them more time to connect with individuals and work closely with children and families, which was a challenge when serving much higher numbers of people, Dwyre said.
Recently the Welcome Center has been averaging about 90 guests at a time, she said.
“We remain focused on the work we do,” she said. “We’re committed, we’re passionate about this work. We’re so grateful to our staff and our many volunteers that make this happen and of course, without the support from the community, this work would not be possible.”
Catholic Community Service’s work with migrant arrivals has been invaluable over the past decade, said Adelita Grijalva, chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
“For more than 10 years the agency has shown the people of our nation who we are as a community — one that doesn’t turn our back on people in need,” she said in a news release. “I am heartened that CCS, while in a reduced role, is still standing with our community and providing aid, shelter, and compassion to the continual stream of asylum seekers coming through Pima County.”
