FRONTIERS • LA CASA-TIJUANA

The ‘House of the Migrant’ in the new Trump Administration

The arrival of Donald Trump in the White House has shaken many of the social programs for disadvantaged people. Deportations, refusals of asylum and cutting of funds are jeopardizing the capabilities of many institutions dedicated to host migrants, such as the Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico, run by the Scalabrinian missionaries. However, resilience and hope are still very much alive in La Casa, which strives to respond to the current challenges.

BY Fr Pat Murphy CS | Director of the House of the Migrants, Tijuana, Mexico

THE CASA DEL MIGRANTE (House of the Migrants) celebrated 38 years of service in April 2025. During those 38 years, we have faced many challenges: From being a house of hospitality that provides only for deported men, to being a home that welcomes all families. We survived the 2020 pandemic which forced us to re-evaluate the way in which we do things. We transitioned from being a small team of seven people to a rather robust team of 23, working in unison for the good of the migrants whom we are called to serve. 

Finally, as part of our transition to become more holistic in our approach, we formed a partnership with ACHNUR to build CESFOM (Center Scalabrini for Formation of Migrants), a trade school that offers many options for migrants to prepare them more adequately for employment.

We are now a few months into the new Trump administration and some alarming events have happened which have brought even greater challenges to the life at the border in general, as well as to life at the Casa del Migrante. The current situation can be summarized under three headings:

1. Massive Deportations
2. Massive Financial Cuts
3. Massive Military Presence

Massive Deportations

One of the promises of Donald Trump’s campaign was to deport millions of people. Up to now less than 150 000 have been deported. The main problem in implementing this decision has been the lack of infrastructure; so, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base has been identified as a place to house undocumented immigrants, and plans to re-open the notorious Rikers Island Jail in New York have been made to create another facility to accommodate immigrants. In Tijuana we have not yet to date experienced “Massive Deportations”, but as the Trump administration ramps up its infrastructure, we are sure to be inundated with large numbers of immigrants. In order to serve more people, we are changing one of our meeting areas into a dormitory with 40 beds.

We should also mention that the entire asylum process has been abandoned, and people no longer have any legitimate and legal means to seek entry into the USA. As I write this reflection, the most recent development is that of facing the consequences of the planned goal of 3 000 deportations daily, established by the US immigration agents who have begun to carry this mission out in SWAT style raids on the homes, places of work and even schools. It is not an exaggeration to say that they will soon be carrying out raids on places of worship. Some people have even been wrongly detained and deported to other countries. I wonder where people will find hope. The concept of hope has been and will continue to be a major theme in the life at the Casa. 

Massive Financial Cuts 

Another aspect of this new USA administration is that there have been massive financial cuts in foreign aid; these cuts have affected all our casas in significant ways. Many international organizations like ACHNUR, International Organization for Migration (OIM), UNICEF and the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) have seen their donations frozen indefinitely. We, in turn, have been told that a large percentage of financial aid to Casa has also been frozen. For example, about 10-15% of our budget comes from ACHNUR and consequently we now need to seek new funding. Programs for children financed by UNICEF have also been frozen and groups that have been coming to Casa to offer programs for children have dried up. The good news is that many generous people have turned up with donations; but our big challenge remains in finding new funding to pay salaries at the Casa and how to finance the expenses at CESFOM —materials and salaries for teachers— so that we may continue to offer all our free-of-charge services to our migrant brothers and sisters.

Massive Military Presence 

If you visit the border these days you will notice an enormous military presence on both sides. The USA and Mexico have each sent 10 000 troops to patrol the entire border. When you cross from Tijuana you will notice many members of the Mexican National Guard waiting to greet you and occasionally, they will stop some cars and ask to review the passengers’ papers about 200 yards from the USA immigration checkpoint. This heavy military presence is no doubt affecting the lives of many people in a very negative way. 

If you visit the border these days you will notice an enormous military presence on both sides.

As I am writing now, another new development has occurred in the city of Los Angeles, California. Several days ago, the US Immigration Service (ICE) began to carry out massive raids, using military style vehicles and weapons. President Trump has throughout undertaken to pursue hard-core criminals, but more recently his officials have turned their attention to common working folks, creating massive havoc and fear in many migrant communities of southern California. In the last few days, people have begun to protest, and thousands have taken to the streets. The quick reaction of the current administration has been to flood the streets with 4 000 members of the National Guard, and today they plan to send in another 700 US Marines. The irony of this decision is that it was taken without any consultation with the Governor of California. There is no doubt that this is a sure-fire recipe for disaster at many levels. In addition, I have no doubt that this military presence will eventually take its toll on the economy, as few people will want to cross the border to the USA.

Some Conclusions

As I reflect on the first few months of the Trump Administration, I am filled with a deep sense of sadness and genuine preoccupation with the future of the migrants who are attempting to escape poverty and violence, trying to start a new life. The response of the Mexican Government has been dismal. For example, in Tijuana there has been zero dialogue on ways to handle this crisis at the border. The municipal government has opened a shelter in the city for about 2 000 deportees. When they arrive, they are accommodated there for two days and then offered a free bus ride back to their places of origin, or told to find a place in another shelter in the city. At this point less than 3 000 people have been sheltered at the famous Flamingo Shelter. It seems the government of Mexico will continue to waste huge amounts of money on white elephants like the Flamingo, offering no help to any of the shelters along the border.

Tijuana has many possibilities for work and can offer people an alternative to crossing the border.

So, the question remains; what we, as Scalabrinian missionaries, can do here at the border. Some challenges that might be considered are:

1. The challenge to share the truth about what is happening. We have been doing this in many different forums. It is imperative that the truth be told.
2. The challenge to help Tijuana to continue being a strategic venue for migrants. I am convinced that with our 38 years of experience and with the presence of CESFOM, we are in a unique position to offer hope to many migrants. Tijuana has many possibilities for work and can offer people an alternative to crossing the border.
3. The financial challenge of keeping our doors open at the Casa and the programs of CESFOM functioning at 100% is very real. The cutting of funds from various agencies remains a huge challenge for us. In fact, we had to make the difficult decision on May 1st to cut our staff by 25% to keep things going in a positive way. We will need to seek alternative funding sources and knock on many more doors to attempt to confront this financial crisis. 

However, I remain convinced that through the intercession of Saint Scalabrini we will thrive and survive. We must do this for the sake of the migrants, refugees and displaced people who knock at our doors daily.