Officials of the Department of Homeland Security are looking to use FEMA funding allocated for housing migrants for immigration enforcement instead.
The funds were directed to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) back in 2019, but the program was a target of Republican ire and identified by Elon Musk’s DOGE as wasteful funding.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has since terminated grants under the reasoning that the program payments “no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities,” according to CNN.
Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton noted that the now cancelled funding would be an enticement to more illegal aliens.
“The individuals receiving these services often have no legal status and are in the United States unlawfully, such as those awaiting removal proceedings. This, in turn, provides support for illegal aliens and is not consistent with DHS’s current priorities,” Hamilton said.
Even with the cancellation, though, there is reportedly still $800 million of unspent funds.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin noted that Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem is putting controls on federal spending for migrants, and added, “The open borders gravy train is over, and there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people.”
Hamilton also said that SSP is no longer in keeping with the federal government’s goals.
“SSP in no way aligns with FEMA’s core mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters,” Hamilton said, adding that FEMA “would also support the Department goal of reducing waste while in an austere budget environment.”
But advocates for illegals claim that the rules for the funding a too vague to support illegals and could, instead, be used to deport them.
“The legislative authority for this grant program is extremely broad,” an advocate for illegals told CNN. “Their interpretation is that providing shelter for an immigrant is tantamount to a detention bed.”
Several weeks ago, the administration began cutting off SSP funding across the nation. Officials in Pima County, for one, reported that funding had been cut for its spending on migrant housing.
FEMA sent a letter to Pima officials early in March informing that the funding had been cancelled, according to AZ Central.
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