Pittsburgh preparing for possibility of migrants passing through after Title 42 ends
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With Title 42 ending, will migrants crossing the southern border be coming to Pittsburgh? City leaders said they have a plan in place to welcome people looking for asylum.
According to the city, there were no migrants who came to the region over the weekend. They are standing by if anything changes.
Maria Montaño with Mayor Ed Gainey's office said the city is more than ready to welcome people looking for a new home. Right now, it just plans to be prepared. No migrants are currently here or on the way.
"At this point in time, there are no buses of asylum seekers coming into Pittsburgh," Montaño told KDKA-TV.
That could change at any time. The city is staying in contact with federal leaders about the situation. According to Montaño, for most of the migrants, Pittsburgh would be just a pit stop on their journey. For many, they would be trying to connect with family or friends who are outside the region.
"To make sure that folks have some food to eat, we had charged cell phones ready for folks to contact their families and their communities," Montaño said.
Local groups like Casa San Jose and the Latino Community Center of Pittsburgh are helping the city to welcome people passing through. They would work to provide the needs people have after making the journey from south of the border. The convention center was a planned shelter if anyone arrived over the weekend.
"To be prepared to welcome them and help make sure they got a method for contacting their families and help support them with any translation services they may need," Montaño said.
The mayor's office says there is no accurate estimation of how many migrants could possibly come to the area. They said there are several variables that go into that calculation.
"It's based on a variety of decisions like sponsorship, court dates," Montaño said.
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services works with the Red Cross to provide assistance to anyone coming or passing through the area. They will supply short- or long-term help depending on what a person may need.
As for when any migrants could come to the area, there is no timeline on that.
