SAN DIEGO — Border patrol has dropped off more than 50,000 migrants in San Diego County over the past few months. Local leaders and organizations say they need the federal government to do more.
"This is a problem caused by the federal government," said El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells.
He says the influx is weighing on resources that are already strained.
"California is even different than Arizona or Texas because they don't have the homeless problems that we have," he said. "That's already stretched all of our police resources, hospital resources and hotel to the very limits."
A lot of the pressure is falling on local organizations. American Friends Service Committee Director Pedro Rios also says the federal government needs to step in.
"There's absolutely concern. There's a concern that a lot of our organizations are being tasked to do work that should be the work of the federal government," he said.
Their organization provides food, water and medical assistance. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has allocated $6 million dollars to help maintain a migrant center ran by South Bay Community Services.
"We would like to see a better process for how those funds are used and in a more efficient way so that migrants can get the maximum use of resources," Rios said.
He also hopes to see more coordination from the federal, state and local government, and for border patrol to stop using the space between the border walls as a spot to hold migrants.
"These are dangerous conditions where people are exposed to the elements while they wait for border patrol," he said.
Lastly, he says he wants an improved process for those seeking asylum so that it can be done in a much safer way.
WATCH RELATED: PedWest closed again due to surge in migrants