From Michael Hopkins, CEO

Yesterday’s Fifth Circuit decision is a devastating blow to the progress made in putting an end to the heinous MPP program put in place by the previous administration. The policy deprived more than 70,000 vulnerable migrants – including pregnant women, families with young children, and vulnerable populations – of the protection they desperately seek, and access to vital resources and assistance in the U.S., including legal aid. MPP cannot be reinstated.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego is extremely disheartened by this decision and urges the Biden administration to take immediate action to put a stop to this cruel and disastrous policy by appealing this unlawful order to the Supreme Court. As one of the few legal service providers in the southern border region that has been providing critical assistance to individuals and families impacted by the unlawful MPP program since its inception, we have seen first-hand the mental and physical toll the policy places on those already traumatized by the violence and persecution they have fled from in their home countries.

As the operator of the San Diego Rapid Response Network Migrant Shelter Services, JFS continues to provide temporary shelter services and travel coordination to asylum seekers who arrive in San Diego, prioritizing public health. Over the last three years, SDRRN Migrant Shelter Services has assisted 48,000 asylum seekers into the U.S., providing respite shelter services, financial and travel assistance, and legal support. Since February 19, 2021, JFS has welcomed with dignity and respect into the U.S. 2,694 individuals who had been entered into MPP.

JFS also works alongside the 65-plus organizations of the California Welcoming Task Force in anticipation of policy changes and will continue to make public health the priority for our community, staff and asylum-seeking individuals.

Continuing to “Welcome the Stranger” is only possible with community support at www.rapidresponsesd.org. Visit www.jfssd.org for available job positions and in-person volunteer opportunities to support this work.

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