Early Wednesday morning, several asylum-seeking families living in tents in a park in Barrio Logan received a warning from police that they must move or face arrest.

It was the second warning they received since some parents whose children play soccer at Cesar Chavez Park complained to local television stations about the families’ presence. But the families said they had no other choice.

“It’s traumatic not having a place to go, not having a place to be,” said a Nicaraguan father in Spanish. He and the other asylum seekers in this article asked to remain anonymous because they remain in a precarious situation.

Asylum seekers usually have family somewhere in the United States to help them settle in, but for those who don’t, time in San Diego’s migrant shelters is limited. After that, they often end up in local homeless shelters. But with municipal shelters across the city full and lacking the means to rent a place, the families in the park felt helpless.

When asked about the situation, the Port of San Diego, which oversees the park, referred to Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent order requiring state and local authorities to dismantle encampments on public property. The park closes at 10:30 p.m., according to port rules.

“We hear and share the community’s concerns on this difficult issue and our response is to address it with as much compassion and humanity as possible,” said Brianne Mundy Page, a spokeswoman for the port. “At the same time, and as the issue continues to grow, we recognize that while it is complicated and sensitive, it is our responsibility to park users, including residents of Barrio Logan and surrounding communities, to protect public access and use of the park, as well as public health and safety.”

The port did not provide a specific timeline for next steps beyond notifying families, but notices to families said an arrest or deportation could occur soon.

Although the county has received federal funding to accept and house more migrants, it is not yet ready with its new space. It is also not clear whether the county’s plans would help asylum seekers who have nowhere to go. Previously, the county has spent the money faster than planned, and many organizations that have long supported asylum seekers in the area have criticized its contracting practices.

Although the Nicaraguan father, his wife and three daughters entered the United States more than a year ago, they still do not have work permits, he said. Under federal rules for asylum seekers, it can often take months or years to obtain a work permit.

“How is that possible when you want to earn a living but can’t get permits?” he asked. “There is plenty of work, but the first thing they ask for is your social security number.”

He and his wife were persecuted under the Ortega regime, which imprisoned, tortured or killed many people for expressing their opinions. For months they tried to travel across Mexico on the notoriously dangerous train known as “la bestia,” but were intercepted by Mexican officials and sent back south. They were robbed and kidnapped along the way, he said.

After finally making it to San Diego last year, they spent months in the San Diego Rapid Response Network shelter run by Jewish Family Service, the father said. But they had no one in the United States to take them in, and eventually they had to leave the shelter.

When asked about the family’s situation, Michael Hopkins, CEO of Jewish Family Service in San Diego, said the organization no longer has contact with the people who are no longer in the care of the home.

“The vast majority of families and individuals who are eligible for our care stay to receive assistance, with some choosing not to or leaving early,” Hopkins said. “Our goal has always been to provide the best short-term housing possible and then work with local and national partners to support the small percentage (less than 2%) of guests who have no contacts in the United States.”

When the Nicaraguan family left the home, they were taken to another home in Riverside where they could stay until they got back on their feet, the father said. Then a few weeks later, they learned they had to leave that home, too.

They landed in Cesar Chavez Park about a month ago, the man said.

On Wednesday morning, port police told the asylum seekers that they had to leave by 10 p.m., the father and several others reported. The families began to panic.

On Wednesday afternoon, the father stood outside his tent, sorting through clothes and other items to decide what to keep and what to throw away if they were forced to move. He said his family has struggled with stress and insomnia since they were first notified by police. They had already been battling severe symptoms associated with trauma.

“I understand there has to be a protocol and we have to follow rules,” he said. “We’re just asking for an opportunity to get out of here, just a little push to get ahead. We didn’t expect to arrive and have a house. We expected to work.”

He said forcing families to leave the park would not solve the problem.

“It’s going to be a chain,” he said. “We’re going to end up in another park and another park.”

He said it was the negative coverage by television networks that prompted police to force them out, fearing that the coverage would lead to white nationalists or other xenophobic groups showing up to harass them in the park.

His family’s tent was one of just over a dozen in the community, which stood at one end of the park.

A few tents away, a Venezuelan mother persuaded her youngest son to eat a piece of fruit.

“I don’t want to be in this situation, but it’s what I had to go through,” she said.

The woman, who recently learned she is pregnant with her fourth child, said she has been living in the park with her husband and three sons since early July. She said they left Venezuela earlier this year because they lacked basic necessities such as food and water and were unable to speak out about conditions in the country due to political repression.

They arrived in San Diego after waiting about six months in Mexico City for an appointment to apply for asylum through the CBP One phone app. They initially stayed in one of the city’s migrant shelters, but when the person who had promised to help them adjust to Houston eventually canceled, the family had to leave the shelter to make room for new arrivals.

She and her husband also do not have work permits. Once they have the permit, they will look for work so they can rent a house for their family, the couple said.

In the meantime, the park and the community of asylum seekers living there helped them feel safer.

“At least we have a place of refuge here,” said the man. “We help each other.”

Because of the panic among families after the police visit on Wednesday, a local organization temporarily moved most of them to a hotel for the night. By 10 p.m., the few remaining tents were housing adults who had no children with them. As midnight approached, no one seemed to be forced by the police to leave or to arrest anyone.

It is unclear how long the families will be able to stay at the hotel. Once that time is up, they will likely return to the park, they said.