María Cortés González

El Paso Times

EL PASO — About 3,000 to 3,500 Cubans are expected to arrive in Central American and northern Mexico border cities, including Juárez, starting this week before making their way into the United States, officials said.

Their arrival in Juárez, Chihuahua, and into El Paso is expected to overwhelm area shelters and organizations designed to assist them, El Paso Catholic Diocese officials said Wednesday.

A group of more than 200 Cuban migrants arrived Monday in Juárez on two flights from Panama, according to Mexico's foreign ministry.

Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services officials expect the majority of the Cubans to continue their journey beyond El Paso. However, 10% to 15% may not be able to continue without some assistance and will stay in this area, they said.

Wave of Cubans finally reach U.S. after grueling land journey

The Cuban immigrants arrive in the United States with a special status that makes them eligible for cash assistance for a limited amount of time as well as eligibility to apply for work authorization, according to diocese officials. Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services is the only agency in El Paso that can process these applications.

However, the agency may not be able to process them quickly because of limited staffing and lack of money. Additional state and federal monies have not been made available.

Officials with the El Paso Catholic Diocese, alongside area agencies that will take in the migrants, will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday to discuss how the diocese plans to respond to the influx and how the community can help.

Thousands of Cubans stranded en route to USA

Mexico's National Institute of Migration reported that 435 Cuban immigrants arrived in February in Juárez, and many then came into the United States through El Paso.

Federal law allows Cuban refugees who set foot in the country to live and work in the United States without the same hurdles as immigrants from other countries. Fears that immigration policies and relations between the countries may change is pushing thousands of Cubans into Central America and into the United States.

Follow María Cortés González on Twitter: @EPTMaria

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