Since April 2022, almost 10,000 international migrants have been bussed from Texas and Arizona to Washington, DC. Many arrived with only clothes on their backs, lacking even shoes. Approximately 10-15% of the migrants intended to arrive here. Others were, and are, seeking help to reach their desired destinations.
SOME promptly reached out to the District government to offer assistance:
- We met with a FEMA-contracted organization designated to coordinate services.
- We talked weekly with a coalition of homeless services providers to assess the situation and to share updates on our services.
Migrant individuals and families soon appeared at SOME’s Front Desk and asked for food, toiletries and clothing:
- In a one-month period, SOME provided about 150 migrants with hygiene kits and meals or snacks.
- 15 outfits were distributed to migrants, including professional wear for individuals preparing for job interviews.
SOME’s Emergency Services Department is also continuing talks with a Maryland nonprofit to coordinate our efforts.
Concurrently, the Mayor and the District’s Delegate to the U.S. Congress have repeatedly requested Federal assistance, but to date those requests were denied. SOME is pleased that the Mayor is now instituting an Office of Migrant Services and has allocated $10 million (of local dollars) for this purpose. At the same time, we (along with many others) are eager to see that migrants arriving in the District in this manner have the same protections as other migrants to the District and are safe and secure during cold weather. We want to see no erosion of legal rights for refugees and asylum-seekers.
In the meantime, we continue to serve migrants who arrive at SOME’s Emergency Services. Our key request from our supporters is to provide hygiene/toiletry kits with all the following items:
- Toothbrush (1)
- Toothpaste (1) 4.8-6oz
- Razors (2)
- Lotion (1) 2-3oz
- Soap (1) 3.5-4oz
- Deodorant (1) 2.5-3oz
- 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner (1) 12-15oz
- Comb (1)
- Q-tips (10 individual) *
- Ziploc Bags (2) sandwich size
- Washcloth (1)
- Single-Use Hand Sanitizer Wipe Packs (5 individual) *
*Place these items in one of the sandwich-sized Ziploc bags.
Please place all items in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and deliver them to 71 O Street NW, Washington DC.
Similarly, we are accepting other donated items that can be found on our website: some.org/give/donate-goods.
It is our hope that by working collectively that our support of migrants will be successful.