As migrant crossings at the border drop to their lowest levels during the Biden administration, a new initiative has been announced to assist communities that bear the brunt of sheltering migrants across the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will allocate over $380 million to assist immigrants living in communities affected by the border crisis, aiming to prevent overcrowding in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (CBP) detention facilities.
This funding augments the $259.13 million in SSP grants that DHS distributed in April.
The funds will be awarded to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which supports state, local, and organizational initiatives providing critical support such as food, shelter, clothing, acute medical care, and transportation to immigrants recently released from DHS custody and awaiting court hearings.
NEW: Today, @DHSgov, through @FEMA and @CBP, announced the allocation of over $380 million through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP).
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 28, 2024
Read more: https://t.co/Ij1QldqAf8 pic.twitter.com/nfFtT6MqoV
Through a statement the DHS explained the intention behind the initiative:
"DHS efforts to manage and secure our borders in a safe, orderly, and humane way include support for communities, as well as strengthened consequences for those without a legal basis to remain and an expansion of lawful pathways that have helped reduce the number of encounters from specific populations.#
The federal agency highlighted that following the implementation of initiatives such as new lawful pathways for migrants to enter the U.S., stricter consequences for illegal crossings and tightened asylum restrictions, unauthorized immigrant crossings at the U.S. southwest border have decreased to the 2019 average.
In fact, crossings have decreased so much that Operation Lone Star, a plan concocted by Texas governor Gregg Abbott to address the state's migrant surge has been left without migrants to bus to other states, one of the flagship proposals of the initiative.
As Newsweek reports, previous recipients of funds include counties such as Pima County in Arizona, which has received $21.8 million, through to smaller church ministry organizations with grants around $10,000. FEMA projects that dozens of projects will be given grants by the time the scheme completes in September 2026.
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