Gallego Proposes Reforms to Fix Failed Shelter and Services Program and Put Arizona Border Communities First
Gallego plan institutes sweeping reforms to make the Shelter and Services Program sustainable, fair, and accountable
PHOENIX, AZ– Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), after close coordination with Arizona’s non-profits, border community leaders, and law enforcement officials, announced his plan to institute sweeping reforms to address the problems plaguing FEMA’s failed Shelter and Services Program (SSP) that has shortchanged Arizona’s border communities on the front line of the border crisis.
“FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program has been inadequate for Arizona’s border communities, non-profits, and law enforcement since it was implemented. After examining all possible solutions, our office has determined the only path forward to make the program sustainable is through reform. Right now, FEMA is operating with little to no oversight, and that’s why my office is working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to draft legislation that holds FEMA accountable so we can do all we can to support Arizonans,” said Rep. Gallego.
SSP was created in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 omnibus to transport and house migrants when they come to the U.S. Since SSP’s implementation, Rep. Gallego has been critical of the program for ignoring the needs of Arizonans and has called out the Administration for its mismanagement.
The reforms put forward in Rep. Gallego’s proposal include:
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Data Sharing: Allow Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to share information with county and local governments so SSP recipients can meet program requirements.
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Reimbursement Reform: Include explicit statutory formulas regarding funding distributions, reimbursement processes, opportunities for stakeholder input, and more.
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Financial Certainty: Reauthorize the Shelter and Services program at a level of $1.5 billion per year to fund the needs of all communities.
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Jurisdictional Clarity: Explicitly include ‘migrant releases into the United States’ as an area of jurisdiction for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers SSP.
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Spending Oversight: Create new oversight standards for funding disbursements to communities experiencing influxes of migrants. These shall apply to SSP, but also to any similar programs authorized in the future for additional purposes.
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First Responder Grant Program: Create a new emergency supplemental grant program within DHS that cities, counties, tribes, and states can use for the operations of law enforcement, first responders, and emergency operation centers during migrant surges.
Read the full reform proposal HERE.
Following the end of Title 42 in May and communications with Arizona border leaders, Gallego sent four letters to Biden Administration officials and Congress requesting specific resources these communities need to reduce the burden on them and their residents.
In June, he sent a first letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arguing that border states like Arizona need more funding to address border crossings and provide services. He called the FEMA funding model “misguided.”
After a lackluster response from FEMA, he sent a second letter to Secretary of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas directly, expressing his disagreement with the funding model.
Gallego also sent a letter to FEMA urging the Agency to fix a new documentation requirement that strains border communities and non-profits in Arizona, putting their funding at risk.
Following these letters, as well as a one-on-one call with Sec. Mayorkas, Rep. Gallego announced in September that he had secured over $2 million in emergency funding from the DHS to support Arizona’s border communities as they address an increase in migrant crossings.
Most recently, Rep. Gallego joined Rep. Michael McCaul (TX-10) in sending a bipartisan letter to House Appropriations Committee leadership requesting that any FY 2024 supplemental appropriations include funding for critical programs to aid first responders in communities impacted by immigration.