The push is on for extra federal help to assist native communities cope with “high volumes of migrant arrivals,” as Bay State Congress members sound the alarm concerning the “severely inadequate” funding ranges.
Congresswoman Lori Trahan on Monday co-led a gaggle of House members who’re asking for $3 billion in funding for FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program (SSP) — which offers funding to states and communities to assist migrant arrivals.
The different Massachusetts Congress members who signed on to the letter to the Subcommittee on Homeland Security included Ayanna Pressley, Seth Moulton, Jim McGovern and Bill Keating. New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez additionally signed the letter.
“As you work to finalize the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations for Homeland Security, we strongly encourage you to prioritize critical funding to support the Shelter and Services Program (SSP),” the legislators wrote.
“Particularly, we ask you to include at least $3 billion for FEMA’s SSP account, to provide urgent resources to cities, states, and towns encountering high volumes of migrant arrivals,” they added.
This funding request comes months after the Massachusetts delegation wrote to FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security concerning the lack of federal funding going to non-border states which can be going through a big inflow of migrants.
The lawmakers in Monday’s letter famous the immigration courtroom backlog, which might pressure some migrants to attend as much as 6 years for an preliminary listening to — in addition to the 150-day work moratorium that has pressured state and native governments to supply shelter and assist providers that may complete tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} per thirty days.
“Local communities across the country have stepped up to provide humanitarian support to those in need. In Woburn, Massachusetts local community leaders and school teachers worked to clothe and feed migrants,” the legislators wrote. “In Denver, one neighborhood Facebook mother’s group has grown to a number of elements of the town, serving to migrant households with every thing from clothes and meals to transportation to numerous conferences and appointments.
“In Chicago volunteers ensured that over 100 migrants were rehoused before their shelter closed down,” they added. “However, without additional federal resources these communities and so many others can only do so much. There is a resounding need from cities and towns across the country for increased federal support to provide migrants with short term humanitarian services.”
This funding request comes after the bipartisan border deal failed within the Senate. That would have appropriated $1.4 billion in SSP {dollars}.
“However, the actual financial need far surpasses the $1.4 billion included in the border supplemental,” the legislators wrote. “Currently, individual cities themselves are needing billions to keep up with the growing demand, with mayors of affected cities requesting $5 billion in federal support. As this need continues to climb, it is clear that the current funding levels for SSP in FY24 Appropriations remain severely inadequate.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”