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West Texas immigration shelter network adds warehouse

  EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A utility warehouse in West Texas has been converted to a shelter for immigrants.

The 500-bed House of Refugees in El Paso will temporarily host asylum-seeking families released by immigration officials to the Annunciation House shelter network.

With plans to add 1,000 beds, it could become one of the largest migrant shelters on the border.

The 125,000-square-foot (11,600-square-meter) facility will save the charity money. It spent over $1 million since October on hotel rooms for migrants — or about 1,000 people per week.

In April there's been a surge of migrants almost every day, overwhelming the churches and shelters in West Texas and New Mexico. Director Ruben Diaz says recent releases of migrants into nearby cities like Las Cruces, New Mexico, can be avoided if more churches get involved.