As mayors, governors scramble to care for more migrants, a look at what’s behind the numbers

By REBECCA SANTANA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Migrants have always come to the U.S., but the immigration system now seems strained nationwide more than ever. The U.S. has had immigration surges before so what’s different now, and why? In part, there are a lot more people coming, and they’re coming from further and further away. Murad Awawdeh, who heads the New York Immigration Coalition, says immigrants arriving in the city didn’t used to use the city-run shelter system. They had networks of friends or relatives to help them find places to stay. That’s changing. New York City currently cares for about 60,000 migrants. And they’re increasingly families instead of single adult men, and families have different needs.