Migrants arriving in Queen City more frequently

CHARLOTTE — A Latin American advocacy group says migrants are arriving in Charlotte from the border in larger numbers.

The Latin American Coalition told Channel 9′s news partner, Telemundo Charlotte, that it typically helps 12 migrant families a week. However, last week in just one day, the Latin American Coalition had to help 12 migrant families.

The group says they are now having trouble finding shelter for the families. They have been looking for other families to take them in.

The migrants often arrive in Charlotte on buses or by hitchhiking. Social media posts have also shown migrants flying into Charlotte. It is unclear how often the Queen City is their final destination or if they are transferring at the airport to another location.

Telemundo Charlotte spoke to one woman from Columbia. She came to the United States last year and originally went to New Jersey. Her daughter is 4 years old and has Down syndrome and she was having trouble finding resources for her. With no luck in New Jersey, she moved to Charlotte about a month ago and was connected to someone who was able to take them in. The Latin American Coalition was given $2 million in COVID-19 funding from Mecklenburg County to help migrants. In addition to shelter and family placement, the group pays for hotel stays for people who need assistance.

A spokesperson for the city of Charlotte says the city hasn’t received any requests for emergency assistance. In a statement, the city said most migrants who come to Charlotte do not stay for long periods of time.

Statement from the city of Charlotte:

“Currently, local migrant assistance agencies are handling their inflow numbers and we do not have any requests for emergency assistance. Charlotte Mecklenburg Emergency Management gets a certain amount of intelligence information from our partners locally and through NCEM and FEMA; however, we are limited in the data that we receive with no clear single point of contact that we can look to for the total numbers.

“Most migrants moving through Charlotte are either here for a limited amount of time and then move on to other locations, or have family members locally they can turn to for assistance. Most of the people we receive are those who need immediate assistance and we rely on one of the migrant agencies for assistance.”

VIDEO: Mecklenburg County commissioners preparing for influx of migrants if Title 42 is lifted

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