SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A migrant shelter is pausing operations after being open to asylum seekers for a year and a half at a Barrio Logan church.
"We never intended to start a migrant shelter. It just came about because of an organic need,” said Father Scott Santarosa of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.
Santarosa told ABC 10News the shelter had a capacity for 32 migrants and opened its doors in October 2023.
"We made the decision to pause operation of the shelter. And the reason we say pause is because we're kind of a fluid situation,” Santarosa said. “We feel and we're not sure if there could be a need again. Should there be a need, we would like to open up again."
He said the decision to pause allowing people inside was made roughly two weeks ago.
"Because there [was] just nobody coming and needing a place to stay."
Less people coming to the southern border seeking asylum is a trend we're seeing right now.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's data shows a near 95 percent decrease in migrant encounters by border patrol agents in the San Diego sector.
That number was more than 31,000 encounters in February 2024.It was 1,650 in February 2025.
"Given that the new administration has essentially closed the border, clearly the spigot of migrants has been shut, and we're all seeing the same reality,” Santarosa said.
Catholic Charities of San Diego stated earlier this month it would also be closing its shelter due to quote reduced demand for asylum services.
In February, Jewish Family Services announceda similar pause in services for its migrant shelter, shifting focus to immigration legal services.
"We would like to do something in that kind of direction as well. We're in conversation with other partners about what might we do,” Santarosa said.
