"After driving his 1996 Grand Caravan for 24 hours without stopping -- except for gas and food -- the Ortegas arrived at the Windsor tunnel Sept. 11. When they told the border guard they were seeking refugee status, the Ortegas were given a list of social services organizations to contact for support.

"The Y is one of the first stops for asylum seekers. The settlement program there directs new immigrants to legal help, housing and other programs.

(...)

"The Salvation Army has put up 50 families -- some with five, seven and nine children each -- at four city hotels. Their bills, including meals, are being sent directly to the city's social services department. Another 30 single men are sleeping and getting hot meals at the Salvation Army Church Street shelter.

"'We are being inundated with them,' said Maj. Wilfred Harbin, Salvation Army administrator. Like others in the city, he has heard that up to 7,000 Mexicans seeking refugee status could be headed this way."

***
The law office down my street that specializes in refugee claims recently hoisted a huge banner on the side of its building, saying "Spanish spoken here" (in Spanish, of course).

Don't you love what the Salvation Army is doing with your kettle donations? They're basically a middle man between the government and the Holiday Inn. It's like they're Expedia for Mexicans now.

(Via, with comments.)