Migrant arrivals to the U.S. increase 3:03

(CNN) -- El Paso, Texas, is on the "threshold of a third wave" of migrant arrivals as local shelters overstretch their capacity, a local nonprofit official told CNN Monday.


The three shelters operated by the nonprofit Opportunity Center for the Homeless have exceeded capacity over the past three weeks, the organization's deputy director, John Martin, told CNN. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is increasing the number of people it releases on the streets.

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"On Friday we recorded 700 releases on the street. The El Paso Office of Emergency Management had to step in and help house the immigrants in hotels," Martin explained.

Releases on the streets are also creating a bottleneck: immigrants stay longer in El Paso due to lack of resources to reach their destination, Martin explains.

The reasons people come to the United States are varied, experts say: Some are fleeing violence, while others seek economic opportunities or reunite with family members already in the country.

In the region, there has been an uptick in migrants at the border, with an average of 1,200 encounters per day, according to El Paso's director of strategic communications, Laura Cruz-Acosta. NGOs, municipal and county authorities are receiving more than 1,100 people a day, he added.

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The city has provided shelter through hotels "to more than 4,200 migrants in the last seven days," Cruz-Acosta said.

"The City of El Paso and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) continue to provide emergency shelter to support local NGOs, the County Migrant Services Support Center and receive direct releases from CBP," Cruz-Acosta said. "OEM is currently operating hotels with more than 900 migrants who are provided with food and shelter while they secure and await their journey."

When asked about migrants being released into U.S. cities, CBP said in a statement to CNN that the agency "is working according to plan and as part of our standard processes to quickly decompress areas along the southwest border, and safely and efficiently screen and process migrants for placement in immigration enforcement procedures. consistent with our laws."

Southern California has also seen an influx of migrants in recent days.

About 2,000 migrants arrived in San Diego County in recent days, while aid groups are working to provide them with additional resources, the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a Los Angeles-based law firm focused on immigrant communities, told CNN.

The number is being reported through intake and relief efforts, spokeswoman Alicia Vargas said. There was no advance planning or notification about the migrants' arrival, and most migrants need extra help, he added.

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"We have met with federal officials to ensure a safe and coordinated process for both immigrants and our residents," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement. "As Congress deliberates a government funding package, it is imperative that they include the Biden Administration's request for supplemental appropriations for the southwest border, which includes $600 million to assist our nonprofits with continued shelter-and-support operations."

In the city of El Cajon, about 27 miles east of San Diego, Mayor Bill Wells called the surge a "disaster."

"All emergency rooms are at capacity in San Diego County. Our homeless shelters are full. Resources are stretched to the limit," Wells said in a social media post.

-- CNN's Conor Powell and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.

Migrant CrisisEl PasoSouthern Border United States