Some South Florida churches on verge of collapse over sheltering migrants
MIAMI - A Hialeah church is just one temple extending a hand to migrants who don't have a place to stay.
David Monduy, a pastor at Rescate Church in Hialeah, says these are people who entered the U.S. before January 9. That was the date when the Biden administration issued the executive order for humanitarian parole.
"We are collapsing in terms of space. So, it's very sad for us to say no to many people who come in for help, said Monduy.
"We are interviewing 10 people a week. Our capacity is limited, we really have space for 12 people. Now, we have 20 staying."
He says some weeks the number of people who show up seeking shelter is almost twice the capacity.
"Thank God, I found Rescate Church, I did not have a job or a place to sleep, they helped me get on my feet," said a Cuban migrant who stayed at the Hialeah temple.
"I was sleeping on the streets for four days, this Church helped me so much," said an elderly Cuban woman who slept at Rescate while working during the day.
"Ninety days, no more than 90 days is the time they can stay here," says Monduy," as long as they go out and work or look for a job."
The church located in East Hialeah converted its classrooms into shelters. Pastor Monduy told CBS4 the immigrants who come to his church are not those who arrived in the U.S. through the humanitarian parole; instead, immigrants who crossed the southern border or arrived by boat.
In the past 18 months some 250,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in the Miami area after being granted precarious legal status, most of them are not granted permission to work.
"If you allow the people to come here you should give the means to survive," said Miami Catholic Archbishop Thomas Wensky, referring to a work permit which, he says, would enable them to get a job easily.
When asked about the crisis, he says they will continue. "We are not overwhelmed yet."
