SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The daily migrant drop-off continues at the Iris Avenue trolley station in South San Diego with one Border Patrol agent calling it “never-ending, 24/7.”
As hundreds of asylum-seekers step off the buses daily, many in the community have realized “there is money to be made off the migrants,” say advocates who work with the migrants at the site.
Now, on any given day, you’ll find people selling coffee, water, Cup Noodles, pastries, burritos and many other food items.
You’ll also find volunteers like Carlos who did not want his last name known for fear of reprisal.
He spends most of his mornings helping asylum-seekers with directions and instructions on how to use public transportation to get to the airport, where most migrants want to go.
At times, he is also part of a crew supervising a table with several phone chargers for the migrants.
“We do it for free, but there are others who charge migrants a dollar per minute to charge their phones,” Carlos said.
He and other volunteers worry that many see the migrants as “easy money.”
Taxi drivers are taking asylum-seekers to the airport for about $75 per ride.
But the cabbies complain other unregulated drivers are taking their business away by also offering rides to the airport and cities such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
“They are charging these people hundreds of dollars, ripping them off,” said Muhammad, one of the drivers. “We go by the meter, we have a license and permits, they don’t.”
Since the Border Patrol started busing people to this transit center, the area has turned into a thriving micro-economy with people selling all kinds of goods and services to the migrants.
Uber and Lyft drivers are constantly coming and going, and vendors hawking cigarettes and phone cards can be seen walking up and down.
In California, you must have a seller’s permit and tobacco retailer’s license and must keep records and sales receipts to sell cigarettes legally.
“There are no permits here, these sellers are just ripping off the migrants,” Carlos said. “They are selling the cigarettes and SIM cards for 10 times what you normally pay at a retail store.”
Another thriving business on the premises is currency exchange with migrants eager to unload pesos they got while in Mexico, seeking dollars.
“The exchange rates don’t favor the migrants, trust me,” Carlos said.
He stated he wished someone would regulate and control what’s going on.
“It’s sad to see how some are taking advantage of the migrants, especially the ones from China,” Carlos said. “The migrants just don’t know any better, I guess it’s a free market thing, right?”
Border Report contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, California Department of Justice and the San Diego Police Department about possible violations surrounding vendors who are selling goods and services to the migrants.
Only the San Diego Police Department responded, saying “it would send officers to the area to see about possible violations.”