PHILADELPHIA — Today, the City of Philadelphia provided an update on additional buses of asylum seekers from Texas and their arrival in Philadelphia at 6 a.m. this morning.
On Monday, December 5, the City reported that 53 asylum seekers traveled from Texas to Philadelphia via bus. Upon arrival at 30th Street Station, 33 of them were transported to the City’s welcoming facility on E. Luzerne Street in North Philadelphia. Many of them are from Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Peru, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, and have been fully screened by Customs and Border Patrol before arriving in Philadelphia.
Services Provided: Immediately upon arrival, individuals were greeted by the City’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA), the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, an array of non-profit partners as well as local hospitals providing the following services:
- Emergency health screening,
- Shelter space,
- Food and water,
- Legal services,
- Social services,
- on-site language interpretation.
The City does not have any information on potential additional buses traveling to Philadelphia.
Medical Preparation: The City will continue to work with community partners to arrange for medical triage and follow-up for any new arrivals in need of medical care.
Donations: La Oficina de Asuntos de los Inmigrantes (OIA) y el Fondo de la Ciudad han puesto en marcha el Fondo de Acogida de Filadelfia para dar a los residentes la oportunidad de contribuir a los esfuerzos locales para acoger a inmigrantes, refugiados y solicitantes de asilo en Filadelfia.
Los fondos recaudados por el Fondo de Acogida se seguirán destinando a organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro del área de Filadelfia que apoyan a los recién llegados.
Además, en la región de Filadelfia, Nationalities Services Center y HIAS Pennsylvania se encuentran entre las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro que ofrecen servicios jurídicos de inmigración a inmigrantes, refugiados y solicitantes de asilo, incluidos nuestros recién llegados. La región de Filadelfia también cuenta con un próspero sector de organizaciones al servicio de los inmigrantes que han dado un paso al frente para apoyar a estas comunidades. Entre ellas se encuentran New Sanctuary Movement, Catholic Social Services, Saint Thomas Aquinas Community Center, Casa De Venezuela, Gente De Venezuela, Juntos, PA Immigrant Family Unity Project (PAIFUP), PA Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, Alianza Latina, Wyss Wellness Center, Maria de los Santos, el Salvation Army y muchas más.
Please keep in mind that donated supplies cannot be accepted.
The best way to support organizations that are providing aid to people is through monetary donations to the Philadelphia Welcoming Fund or to the vetted groups named above that are providing immediate and long-term relief.
Note on Terminology: The City’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA) advises using “individuals and families seeking asylum” to describe arriving people.
B-Roll/Photos: Photos and video are available to download here for media use. Credit: City of Philadelphia.