San Antonio found itself ill-prepared to handle a sudden influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Texas city was reportedly not informed by U.S. Border Patrol that the migrants, who began arriving on Tuesday, were coming, according to Interim Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger.

(VIdeo: KENS 5)

“We didn’t get a heads up,” Bridger told KENS 5 on Thursday.

“When we called Border Patrol to confirm, they said, ‘yeah, another 200 to 300 from the Congo and Angola will be coming to San Antonio,’” she added.

The refugees, fleeing the Congo where an Ebola epidemic that began last year has now surpassed 2,000 cases, arrived in the Alamo city after reportedly traveling to the southern U.S. border with a group of about 350 migrants through Ecuador.

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Jaleesa Irizarry✔@JaleesaReports

The city says Border Patrol told them earlier this week (when the city reached out) to expect 200-300 more migrants from the Congo and Angola to arrive in the coming days. @KENS5 #kens5eyewitness1411:33 AM – Jun 6, 2019 · San Antonio, TXTwitter Ads info and privacy51 people are talking about this

Besides the burden of processing and sheltering the migrants, the city has found an added challenge of communication, as KENS 5 reported that San Antonio is now “in desperate need of French-speaking volunteers.”View image on Twitter

Jaleesa Irizarry✔@JaleesaReports

BREAKING: City confirms hundreds of migrants from the Congo have arrived in SA. The city is in desperate need for French speaking volunteers. @kens5 #kens588810:14 AM – Jun 6, 20191,548 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

The outlet’s reporter, Jaleesa Irizarry, used Google Translate to communicate with Masengi, a Congolese asylum-seeker.

Jaleesa Irizarry✔@JaleesaReports

I just spoke to Congolese migrant named Masengi. In so many words, Via Google Translate, (not a perfect translation) this is what he had to say. @KENS5 #kens5eyewitness1210:50 AM – Jun 6, 2019See Jaleesa Irizarry’s other TweetsTwitter Ads info and privacy

About 375 people, from a total of 450 just on Wednesday at the Migrant Resource Center, were housed at Travis Park Church that night. Another center was opened to shelter hundreds more expected to arrive, but plans to send the migrants to other cities have not yet panned out.

“The plan was 350 of them would travel from San Antonio to Portland. When we reached out to Portland Maine they said, ‘Please don’t send us any more. We’re already stretched way beyond our capacity,” Bridger said. “So we’re working with them [the migrants] now to identify other cities throughout the United States where they can go and begin their asylum seeking process.”

The Catholic Charities of San Antonio has reportedly been offering assistance but is now financially to meet the needs. The organization has spent thousands of dollars a week on bus tickets for the Spanish and French-speaking migrants to get to their final destinations.

“We’re looking at roughly $14,000 a week on bus tickets alone,” the group’s spokesperson, Christina Higgs, told KENS 5. “We’ve been asked several times if we’re worried if the money will run out and we are. It’s obviously a finite resource.”

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U.S. Border Patrol reported that a large groups of migrants from Angola, Cameroon and Congo were apprehended last week after wading across the Rio Grande into the U.S.

CBP✔@CBP

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to Del Rio Sector apprehended a large group of 116 individuals—from Angola, Cameroon and Congo—after they illegally crossed the Rio Grande River into the U.S. on Thursday: http://bit.ly/2I6Q0RG 5,6483:06 PM – May 31, 20196,565 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

“Agents have encountered 182 large groups (100+ individuals) across the SW border this fiscal year. This is the first large group apprehended in Del Rio Sector this FY and the first large group apprehended on the SW border this FY consisting entirely of African nationals,” CBP said in a statement.

Many expressed frustration and anger over the crisis and potential health emergency unfolding in the Texas city.

Mark Krikorian✔@MarkSKrikorian

Actually, San Antonio is in desperate need for these bogus asylum seekers (who passed thru a ~dozen countries before reaching the US border) to be sent home pronto.Jaleesa Irizarry✔@JaleesaReportsBREAKING: City confirms hundreds of migrants from the Congo have arrived in SA. The city is in desperate need for French speaking volunteers. @kens5 #kens510412:39 PM – Jun 7, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy56 people are talking about this

harley andrews @AndrewsHarleyReplying to @JaleesaReports @KENS5

This is an invasion, we have no room for them! It’s also very taxing on our economy! Every state will look like California if this is not stopped!282:43 PM – Jun 7, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee harley andrews ‘s other Tweets

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PatLynnFor @PatLynnForReplying to @MarkSKrikorian

I wonder if anyone will recognize San Antonio in about 10 years, if we continue to “hire” liberals to lead. This has to stop before the wonderful culture of our city is lost forever.96:26 AM – Jun 8, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee PatLynnFor ‘s other Tweets

carole@dagnon_caroleReplying to @JaleesaReports and 2 others

I stopped donating money to Catholic Charities when I read that most of it goes to fund illegal immigration, no thanks, that makes the situation worse. Take care of our own first, we have 3M US children living in poverty313:04 PM – Jun 7, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy19 people are talking about this

Sherri@BeardsleeSherriReplying to @JaleesaReports @KENS5

They want to send people who could be infected by God knows what diseases to every city around the country. This is a catastrophe of epic proportions.144:27 PM – Jun 7, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee Sherri’s other Tweets

𝕂𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕟 𝕄𝕔𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟@KelenmcbreenReplying to @JaleesaReports @KENS5

Are you worried about the possibility of them carrying Ebola which can go undetected for up to 3 weeks? Why not mention it in your reporting?222:10 PM – Jun 7, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee 𝕂𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕟 𝕄𝕔𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟’s other Tweets

JM Barlow – author@MyDailyDaisyReplying to @KENS5

Why why why???? Who allows this to happen??10:18 AM – Jun 8, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee JM Barlow – author’s other Tweets

ThinkCenter68@ThinkCenter1968Replying to @JaleesaReports @KENS5

The city should now realize how it feels to get no warning! Nobody who experiences the arrival of the illegal immigrants is prepared for their arrival. The Border personel are simply spreading the burden! We must get Congress to start protecting us before it’s too late!12:17 PM – Jun 6, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee ThinkCenter68’s other Tweets

S Hutfilz@HutfilzSReplying to @Michael31061457 and 3 others

I can’t wait to see how Dems spin it to be Trump’s fault when Ebola or some other epidemic shows up here from 3rd world refugees sneaking across the border. I pray we never find out.1312:22 PM – Jun 7, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee S Hutfilz’s other Tweets