An organization that recruits churches and volunteers to take in migrant families dropped off by federal authorities said capacity is dropping, and shelter space is going unused, as local temperatures hit triple digits.
Deadly heat adds a layer of danger for migrants released in metro Phoenix with nowhere to go.
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest drafts churches to help keep migrants off the street. But President and CEO Connie Phillips said some churches are dropping out because they can’t afford higher air-conditioning costs this summer. Phillips also said a shelter facility in Glendale has been left unused at times because there aren’t enough aid workers to run it.
“We are very concerned that this is urgent, and becoming more urgent every day [when] our temperatures are over 100 (degrees),” she said.
Lutheran Social Services has access to the facility in Glendale at least five days a week. Mondays and Wednesdays have so far been the most difficult nights to staff, Phillips said.
