Photo courtesy of the Haitian Times/ Twitter.
Ludgeda and Jean Felix from Temple, Texas, have driven hundreds of miles to help Haitian asylum seekers in Del Rio, according to the Haitian Times.
The family decided to help after they learned Haitian refugees had been released from a migrant camp and need help connecting with their families.
The Felix family drove to Del Rio and rented a van on Sept 21 determined to help. The family helped 22 people by transporting them to San Antonio and housing them for a night in a hotel.
The couple also helped the people by lending them their phones so that they could contact relatives and let them know they were safe. Once relatives sent screenshots of airline tickets, the Felix family drove the people to the airport.
“Whenever they had their tickets, then we took them to the airport,” said Jean Felix. “Since they needed help here, I feel so good to be able to come and give the few hours that I’m giving right now.”
“Those people, we were able to bring them with us to San Antonio,” said Ludgeda Felix. “We were being the middlemen, helping them out, making sure they were not wondering. If they did not have a cell phone to call [relatives] we provided them with a cell phone to make phone calls.”
On Sept. 22, the couple planned to do the same and drove to Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition Center to see how they could help. Luckily, things were better organized and a bus was already there to transport more refugees seeking asylum.
Border patrol agents brought 260 Haitian refugees to the center that day, and the couple waited to see if they would be needed for transportation. However, more buses arrived later and drove the refugees to temporary housing in Houston while they contacted relatives.
Ludgeda said that she was happy to help and has made new friends in doing so.
“I met a lot of new people, and I have new friends now,” she said.