Shelter Closes In Cali and Lays Off Staff
For over six years, the Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) has been a key player in providing shelter and resources to migrants arriving in Southern California. But now, with federal funding cuts and shifting policies under the Trump administration, the organization is shutting down its migrant shelter and laying off 115 employees.
The closure follows a significant disruption in how asylum seekers are processed. A major turning point came on January 20, when the CBP One mobile app went down.
Originally designed for cargo inspections during the first Trump administration, the app had been expanded under Biden’s immigration policies to allow migrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry, making it easier for them to be paroled into the U.S. But with the app no longer in service, the flow of asylum-seeking families into JFS’s care has dried up.
NEW: A San Diego migrant shelter is closing down and laying off 115 employees due to “changes in federal funding & policy” under the Trump admin. The shelter says it has received ZERO new migrants since Trump was inaugurated & ended the CBP One phone app.https://t.co/6qOddy3mic
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 16, 2025
The organization released a statement explaining that without new arrivals from short-term federal custody, its migrant shelter services will be "paused until there is a better understanding of future community needs."
Instead, JFS says it will shift focus to legal aid and community support services for immigrants already in the U.S. CEO Michael Hopkins acknowledged the organization had been preparing for these policy changes, adding that while the shelter may be closing, the demand for immigration-related legal assistance is growing.
One point of contention, however, is funding. While JFS publicly claimed it had not received federal support, records show that in Fiscal Year 2024, the organization was granted over $22 million in FEMA money. This raises questions about financial transparency and how taxpayer dollars have been allocated.
The policy shift affecting JFS is part of broader changes under the Trump administration, which has prioritized stricter border enforcement. The rollback of Biden-era policies, particularly the expansion of parole through CBP One, marks a significant shift in how the U.S. handles asylum seekers.
While migrant advocacy groups argue that these changes create new hurdles for those seeking refuge, supporters of stricter immigration controls see them as necessary measures to restore order at the border.