San Diego County has snagged a substantial federal grant to restart a vital project aimed at supporting asylum-seekers. Following months of aggressive lobbying, the government has earmarked $19.6 million to reconstruct the county's migrant welcome center, previously shuttered due to a funding shortfall. In a statement obtained by FOX 5/KUSI, Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas confirmed the Department of Homeland Security's allocation, part of a broader $300 million distributed nationwide.

According to FOX 5/KUSI, the cash infusion seeks to establish a "sustainable, federally funded migrant transition center," a beacon of hope for those who have crossed borders in search of asylum. Since a local welcome center shuttered in February, after four months of strained operation on a $6 million county fund, Border Patrol had returned to "street releases," leaving migrants without support in their transition.

In her Facebook update, Vargas expressed deep pride in leading the charge for the much-needed funding. "I want to thank the Biden Administration, SBCS, and Governor Newsom and our Congressional Delegation for recognizing our hard work to create and sustain the Migrant Transitional Center, which now serves as a model for the rest of the country," Vargas said. The center will continue to rely on collaboration with organizations such as Jewish Family Services and Catholic Charities, vital in the day-to-day assistance for asylum-seekers in San Diego County.

The federal dollars aim to resolve the interim where the locals were left without a haven as the earlier funds dried up, a detail reported by Vargas' Facebook page. As plans for the future of this migrant transition center unfold, a sense of urgency persists, to ensuring no one is abandoned on the streets, disconnected from a path to their final destination.