SAN ANTONIO — Migrants are heading to Austin from San Antonio as Title 42 officially ends Thursday, May 11. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Biden administration officially ends Title 42 restrictions at midnight

  • San Antonio leaders are already dealing with an influx of asylum seekers and expect more

  • As part of a partnership launched in January, Austin is taking in migrants from San Antonio

  • Five days a week, city staff will take migrants bused from San Antonio to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

The City of San Antonio is struggling with resources and lack of flights due to the influx of migrants. Since May 4, San Antonio has sent a bus five days a week with about 50 asylum seekers to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA).

We reached out to the City of San Antonio. A spokesperson sent us this written statement:

“This partnership allows us to better manage capacity at the MRC [Migrant Resource Center]. San Antonio transported one bus in January. As arrivals have recently sharply increased, we re-initiated this partnership last week.”

Customs and Border Protection released the asylum seekers. They can legally travel to their sponsored destinations and already have “pre-booked flights.”

Officials expect even more people will flood the Alamo City from the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum and fly to locations within the U.S.

Heomar Garcia is one of those asylum seekers. The Venezuelan was waiting with his family to board a flight to New York where his brother was staying.

His responses have been translated to English.

“This is a country of migration, and people will always continue to arrive as long as they do it peacefully,” Garcia said. “We all have a future here in this country.”

The City of Austin Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) connects migrants to their flights at ABIA once they arrive at the transportation assistance center at the Austin Convention Center Marshaling Yard.

Austin HSEM director Juan Ortiz said this is about more than helping San Antonio, it’s a statewide effort. He announced Thursday Austin HSEM is in discussions with the City of El Paso who has also reached out for support, but there have been no decisions yet.

“Communities along the border are probably going to need this type of assistance,” Ortiz said. “And my indication is that there may be similar requests made to other inland communities that have a larger transportation portal.”

Ortiz claims this partnership will not increase flights or airline activity at ABIA. He says migrants are like any other passengers and will not cause any added burdens to the community.

“Those tickets are arranged while they’re in the Migrant Resource Center in San Antonio,” he said. “These are available open seats that anyone can secure and that’s capacity that the airlines have identified.”  

In a press release, the City of Austin said it anticipates "up to 120 asylum seekers will be arriving on buses from San Antonio each operating day.” It also said Austin is seeking full reimbursement from FEMA.

As for Garcia, he thanks the United States and offers a message to his fellow travelers: “To my compatriots, you can do it. Stay calm, it is possible,” he said.

Spokespersons from both cities said there are no plans to open additional facilities or hire extra crews to accommodate asylum seekers.