Three busloads of migrants were dropped off near the Iris Avenue Trolley Station in Otay Mesa, reports NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada.
As new groups of migrants arrive at the border, some of those seeking asylum are being released onto San Diego streets.
One of those releases happened Wednesday morning near the Iris Trolley Station in Otay Mesa.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents dropped migrants off near the trolley station to give them access to transportation.
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The asylum seekers dropped off at the transit center are from countries all around the world.
There have been similar drop-offs like this in the past in El Cajon, Oceanside, and even back in December at the same transit station. CBP said releasing migrants in the U.S. while their case are being adjudicated is within standard procedure.
CBP said it releases migrants to service-providing, non-governmental organizations, but if those organizations are at capacity they coordinate with local governments and cities to identify locations where migrants can access transportation services and accommodations.
They said individuals who are provisionally released from CBP remain in immigration removal proceedings and have strict requirements ahead of a hearing date.
CBP said they work to ensure the releases are conducted in a safe manner.
According to an internal watchdog for the Department of Homeland Security, during a 17-month period, they lost track of more than 170,000 migrants inside the U.S.
Wednesday's influx of migrants at the border forced CBP to temporarily suspend pedestrian processing at the Ped West border terminal. The agency said the stoppage would begin Thursday morning but didn't say how long it would last. You can monitor wait times at the border here.
