City of El Paso tells church to stop taking migrants to Album Park to shower
City of El Paso tells church to stop taking migrants to Album Park to shower
by Marisa Saenz
Friday, May 24th 2019
https://kfoxtv.com/resources/media/6...?1558741531106
Migrants showering at Album Park. Credit: Christina Avila
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — Caminos De Vida, a church in the Lower Valley of El Paso, has been receiving migrants for three months and is looking for a place to take them to shower and stay clean.
“We’ve been receiving immigrants for roughly close to three months,” Hisrael Cabrera, the associate pastor at Caminos de Vida Church, said.
“We’ve taken them to the Carolina and we’ve also taken them to Album Park, the recreation centers there.”
As of Thursday, the city of El Paso told the church it had to stop taking migrants to those locations just to use the facilities.
“The amenities that exist there, for example, the showers and the restrooms, etc., those are for the folks that are using the rec center,” Laura Cruz-Acosta, a spokeswoman for the city said.
Cabrera said he didn’t understand why the city told the church to stop.
“I really don’t know. It could be the amount of people. It could be the people. We just really don’t know,” Cabrera said.
Cruz-Acosta said the issue is not that the people are migrants.
“It’s not just the migrants. Nobody can go in without using it as a rec center,” Cruz-Acosta said.
When asked if the migrants would be allowed to use the facilities if they use the recreation center first, Cruz-Acosta said, “As long as it’s being used for the public purpose, as a rec center, it can be used. The amenities can be used.”
One El Pasoan who saw the migrants use the facilities Thursday said it made him feel uneasy.
“I saw vans coming through here and people getting off vans and going inside the rec center, just to come in here and shower for no reason,” Adam Sias said. “Yeah, I wouldn’t allow it.”
Another woman who uses the center feels there isn’t an issue with migrants coming just to use the facilities.
"I don’t think it would make me feel uncomfortable. They’re human. I mean, everyone wants to be clean, so it wouldn’t bother me at all,” Sandra Leyva said. “I’m sure they’re looking for anywhere, any place, to help their situation, so I don’t think it’s wrong."
Cabrera said, now that these locations are no longer available for facility use, finding a place for the migrants to clean up is going to be difficult.
“If we no longer have the people to take a shower or a bath, we aren’t going to be able to take people any longer, because that’s one of the most important things is hygiene” Cabrera said. “But now, with the doors being closed, we aren’t going to be able to take them there. It’s going to be challenging.”
Cabrera said the church is now looking for ways to bring in revenue and a new portable option to use for hygiene.
“We are always looking for resources to cover the costs that we are doing. If we could find a facility or a temporary shower that can be moved,” Cabrera said.
https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/city-o...wer-05-24-2019
