Some Important information while our government detains you outside without providing you with food, water, medical care, or shelter:
- If you see an urgent medical issue, please let volunteers or Border Patrol know immediately.
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You are located at one of these camps:
- Moon Valley – O’Neil Camp InKoPah Exit 77, Jacumba CA
- Willows – 43475 Old Highway 80, Jacumba CA
- Camp 177 – Dirt Road at the end of Jewel Valley Rd, Boulevard CA
- PLEASE RESPECT THE LAND . Please pick up trash and refrain from burning vegetation.
- We do not know how long you will be here. It could be hours or days.
- Volunteers will be providing food water and basic medical care twice a day .
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When you leave here, you will likely be taken to a local processing facility:
- We do not know how long it will take to process you from that facility.
- Be sure to wear something warm for that detainment.
- Be sure to shut off your phone before getting on the bus to leave the camp.
- If you are traveling with family members, you need to tell Border Patrol who you are traveling with to reduce the chance that you are separated. You should not be separated from your spouse or children. Try to stay together until you are released from custody. More information about assistance for separated family members can be found below.
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From the local processing facility, you will either be released or sent to immigration detention, or flown to Texas for processing. Most individuals will be released to sites in either San Diego or Riverside Counties.
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SAN DIEGO RELEASES
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- If you are traveling with minor children, have medical needs, have physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, are pregnant, older than 55 years old, or LGBTQ+, you will be given the option of going to a shelter. You will be able to stay at the shelter for 1-2 days and will receive legal, medical, and onward travel assistance.
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If you are a single adult or in a group of all adults, Border Patrol will drop you at a transit stop. The address is 3120 Iris Ave. San Ysidro, CA 92173.
- If you are staying in the San Diego area you are free to call your sponsor and arrange for transportation to your new home.
- If you are traveling outside the San Diego area, a free shuttle will take you to the Old Town Transit Center, from which you can find a free shuttle to the airport and access to train and bus stations. You will be expected to pay for your own hotel, food and travel. Free Wifi is available at the airport and you can purchase a SIM card there if needed.
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RIVERSIDE COUNTY RELEASES:
- You may be dropped at a shelter run by the Salvation Army. You will be able to stay for 1-2 days and will receive legal, medical, and onward travel assistance. If the rest of your family was dropped off in San Diego, the Salvation Army can coordinate with the San Diego nonprofits to reunify you.
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IF YOU ARE SENT TO AN IMMIGRATION DETENTION FACILITY
- If you have prior immigration or criminal history, you are more likely to be sent to an immigration detention facility. You may be sent to a facility in California or another state.
- If you have a contact in the United States, they should use the Immigration Legal Directory linked below to find you an attorney close to where you are detained
- You will have to pass a “Credible Fear Interview” in order to be released from custody. In this interview, you will explain why you are afraid to return to your country. If you do not pass this interview, you may be deported
- If you pass your Credible Fear Interview, you will need a sponsor who has legal status in the United States to write a letter that explains that you can live with them while you apply for asylum. Then, your Deportation Officer will make a determination as to whether you can be released. If you are released, you will receive a court date close to where your sponsor resides. If you are not released, you will have to apply for asylum at the detention facility.
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IF YOU ARE FLOWN TO TEXAS OR SENT TO ARIZONA FOR PROCESSING:
- Due to the large number of migrants crossing the California border, Border Patrol may fly/bus you to Texas or Arizona for processing. From there, you could be released to the community or sent to an ICE detention facility.
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SAN DIEGO RELEASES
:
- If you are separated from your family during processing: If you are released to San Diego, look for the organizations “Al Otro Lado” and “Immigrant Defenders,” who can help you reunify with your family. If you are released to a shelter in San Diego or Riverside, shelter staff can coordinate with the legal nonprofits to help reunify you. If you are flown/bused to another location, or if there are no nonprofit staff available at the San Diego release site, you may call or send a WhatsApp message to 323-542-4582 for assistance.
- If you are sent to a hospital before you are processed: If you are discharged from the hospital, you can call +1 (619) 800-2083 (not available with WhatsApp). It is a volunteer run hotline that can sometimes find resources depending on your needs. If you have a passport, you are free to travel to your final destination. Free Wi-Fi is available at the airport. It is also safe to stay at the airport overnight if you cannot afford a hotel room while you wait for your flight. Once you reach your destination, you must find an attorney and submit an application for asylum as soon as possible, but no later than one year after your date of entry to the United States.
- If you are applying for Asylum, you should find an attorney . Here are some resources to help find legal representation:
- If possible, document your experience at this camp and your experience until you are released from custody.
- Border Patrol agents are not always polite. They sometimes lie or manipulate people. Use caution when dealing with them.
