SAN YSIDRO, Calif. (KGTV) — The Iris Avenue Transit Center is more than just a transit hub these days. For about a week now, hundreds of migrants have filled the transit center in San Ysidro as street releases continue.
Wednesday was nothing new.
Volunteers said they welcomed about 200 asylum seekers and helped them get to the next stop on their journeys Wednesday.
RELATED: 3,400+ migrants dropped off in San Diego county within a week
One of those migrants was David Villareal.
He's currently separated from his wife and son. He said they're still in Border Patrol custody.
He's hopeful to reunite with them, so they can head to the next stop on their journey.
"I am trying to save the lives of my sons, wife, and my own. Our family," he said.
He says he fled from Columbia.
For safety reasons, he doesn't want his face shown, but his story is similar to many others: He's hopeful for a real future in the United States.
"I have a friend who opened the doors to his home to shelter me and my family during our immigration process," he explained.
That friend is in Texas, but Villareal can't head there without his wife and son.
"I'm at Iris at this point waiting to see if they get to this side," he said.
RELATED: Border Patrol agents begin street releases of migrants in San Diego County
Al Otro Lado, one of the organizations assisting migrants, said Villareal's story is a common trend among the dropped off asylum seekers.
"We have been seeing dozens of separated families per day. We are working with dozens of individuals who were separated in Border Patrol custody — sometimes some people were brought to hospitals. We've been calling hospitals every single day looking for individual family members," said Erika Pinheiro, the executive director of Al Otro Lado.
ABC 10News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to find out what they plan to do with the ongoing situation and the separation of families. As of Wednesday evening, our newsroom has not heard back.
