MCALLEN – More people in the country illegally are being released from immigration custody at the McAllen bus station.

A volunteer who works with immigrants says they processed more than 200 Tuesday.

The people are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, for the most part.

They’re being released from federal immigration custody with orders to appear in immigration court at a later date.

The number of people after Christmas is significantly higher than the daily numbers volunteers are used to processing since the start of 2017.

One woman from Honduras says she came with two children and spent Christmas Day sleeping in a detention cell.

She says she doesn’t know why this wave is happening now; all she knows is gangs and threats against her children pushed her out of her country, forcing her to leave her home and business.

“In my case, I didn’t imagine coming here. Unfortunately, I had to. I didn’t think twice. I sold my business and used that money to come,” said Jesica Elena Sazo, who was released from detention.

For a small bus station, such as in McAllen, those numbers can take up a large part of the seating.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS will continue to monitor the changing waves of immigration.