Nearly Three Dozen Migrants Arrive in Philly on Eve of Title 42 End

Thirty-one migrants arrived on a bus in Philadelphia Wednesday morning, making 20 buses in total to drop off migrants in the past six months.

At 30th Street Station at approximately 6 a.m., the Venezuelan migrants, including seven children ages 1-7, arrived and 26 of them were transported to the city’s welcoming facility on E. Luzerne Street in North Philly.

Upon arrival, migrants have access to emergency health screening, food and water, shelter, language interpretation, legal services, social services and case management resources.

With Title 42 ending Thursday at 11:50 p.m. eastern time, the city is preparing to potentially receive more migrant buses. However, they do not know if or how many more migrant buses could come.

Since the pandemic, Title 42 has allowed the U.S. to deport hundreds of thousands of migrants to their home countries and deter immigration, including those fleeing crises and requesting asylum.

Since November 2022, Philadelphia has received nearly 940 migrants.

The city recently increased its shelter capacity and case management support via contracted providers to aid in its efforts to help families seeking asylum.

"We are ready to welcome them in a human way and treat them well," Blanca Pacheco, with the New Sanctuary Movement nonprofit, said.

Most migrants pass through the city onto other cities but there are about 50 migrants that have been integrated into Philly.

The city also launched the Philadelphia Welcoming Fund to allow residents the opportunity to contribute to local efforts to help migrants. The money donated will go to local nonprofits that support new arrivals.

Over 12 city agencies are involved in the effort to welcome the asylum seekers and provide resources to help them get the things they need, a spokesperson from the Office of Emergency Management said.