The City of Mexicali opened Tuesday a warming shelter to protect vulnerable residents from low temperatures.

Elba Cornejo, Manager of the Family Development Agency of Mexicali, told La Crónica newspaper that the shelter was opened in the Bellavista area, close to Mexicali Prison.

The site was regularly opened in the CREA complex that now houses Haitian immigrants.

The 200-bed shelter that opens from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. provides hot food.

The city plans to open another shelter in the rural area and one in San Felipe.

Cornejo said over a thousand Haitian immigrants had arrived in the city’s shelters that had a capacity for just 1,000 people. The agency requests donations of food and hygiene items as the city has exhausted all of its funds for shelters.