EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) – Sacred Heart Church, known for aiding asylum seekers since 2022, will close its shelter for migrants starting Oct. 7. Church officials say the number of migrants seeking refuge at the shelter has decreased significantly since June.
Father Rafael Garcia, the church’s pastor, explained that Sacred Heart has been providing essential services — such as food, shelter, and basic necessities — to hundreds of asylum seekers in need. However, with other shelters now established and fewer migrants arriving, the church will cease shelter operations.
“When we first opened, we couldn’t serve everyone. People were out on the streets because we were already packed inside,” Garcia said. He added that prior to June, the shelter housed up to 100 people per night, but that number has since dropped to around 20.
Sacred Heart Church, 602 S Oregon St., is located in South El Paso near Downtown.
Garcia said since President Joe Biden’s executive orders in June, which limited the number of people eligible to seek asylum, they began noticing a decline in migrants at the shelter.