U.S. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly say a U.S. immigration program does not do enough to support border communities, including those in Yuma County and Arizona.
Sen. Sinema announced Friday that she and Sen. Kelly sent a letter requesting that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection ensure the Shelter and Services Program sufficiently funds Arizona communities.
Sinema visited Yuma Aug. 2 and heard from police and fire leaders from Yuma, Somerton and San Luis on how they are looking for federal money to reimburse them for the migrant care they continue to provide.
The senator said she has secured more than $1 billion for migrant services through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program and the SSP. She said the funding helps non-profits and communities on the frontlines of the border and immigration crisis provide assistance to migrants – helping keep families safe and ensuring migrants are treated fairly and humanely.
Sinema said it is wrong that communities including New York City and Chicago take away some funding for migrant services from communities including Somerton, San Luis and Yuma that are the first step in processing migrants who cross illegally.
“When we fight hard to get some level of relief funding to just fairly compensate border communities for the work they're doing to address the federal government's failure to solve this problem... is very frustrating," she said.
