SAN ANTONIO — From his house in San Antonio, Matt Neal packs up for a two-day humanitarian trip.
What You Need To Know
- Interfaith Welcome Coalition of San Antonio takes inventory of the goods considered humanitarian essentials
- Human rights groups and academics studying immigration estimate some 60,000 migrants are stuck in limbo in dangerous Mexican border towns
- Group offers transportation, temporary housing as needed, and medical care when required
The volunteer for Interfaith Welcome Coalition of San Antonio takes inventory of the goods he considers humanitarian essentials.
“Oh gosh,” Neal said. “I have maybe five of these [socks] and just a bunch of bags.”
Since President Donald Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocol, or “Remain in Mexico,” executive order took effect last year, tens of thousands of asylum seekers have little choice but to stay on the south side of the U.S.-Mexico international bridge. Human rights groups and academics studying immigration estimate some 60,000 migrants are stuck in limbo in dangerous Mexican border towns.
Neal has seen many of those faces in person in Nuevo, Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
“In the case of the folks of whom we’re bringing these things, they come this far and then they are stuck a mile from the border,” he said.
Trump’s tough stance on immigration is why Neal volunteers a great deal of his personal time with the Interfaith Welcome Coalition.
At least once a month since the beginning of the 2020, with help from others dedicating time, money and donated goods to the nonprofit, Neal loads up his van en-route to the Mexico border.
READ MORE | Nonprofit Establishes Clinic to Help Refugee Border Crisis
“Food, clothes and diapers and all those things,” he said.
In the same delivery is medical personal protective equipment to protect refugees from COVID-19.
Before every journey south on I-35, Neal makes several stops, picking up more donations from other coalition members.
In Laredo, the San Antonio man meets Pastor Lorenzo Ortiz. The cross-border church leader helps direct the migrant shelter in Nuevo Laredo. According to the pastor, hundreds of men, women and children have benefited from donations collected by Neal’s organization.
In a phone conversation, Neal said U.S. Immigration and Customs officials had released dozens of Haitians from federal custody. The coalition is scrambling to assist the refugees and help them get to their final destination. The group offers transportation, temporary housing as needed, and medical care when required.
According to Neal, it’s not unusual for pregnant mothers to be released by immigration officials when hospitalization is imminent.
“We had a mother we helped who have had birth to twins,“ he said. “They weighed two pounds at birth and are much better and back home with mama.”
Neal said the San Antonio-area hospital released the twins when their weight went above five pounds. He considers it an honor to help other human beings in desperate times.
“It’s such a privilege," he said.
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