Texas Border Business
Mission, TX– Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced over $2,599.32 for humanitarian reimbursement to United Way of South Texas as part of a $30 million funding package the Congressman secured, which will return funding to dozens of other municipalities and nonprofits across Texas and the United States.
Cuellar secured bipartisan, bicameral support for this funding in the FY19 Border Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill to provide reimbursement through FEMA for expenses related to providing migrants with food, temporary housing, and transportation. Additionally, Congressman Cuellar restructured disbursement of these funds to accelerate the reimbursement process.
“The surge of migrants strained our cities and nonprofits to the breaking point so securing this reimbursement funding was at the top of my priority list,” said Congressman Cuellar. “Since 2014, I have worked hard to secure the $30 million in the FY 2019 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, and I will continue working until Texas communities receive the full support they deserve. I want to thank President Lilly Lopez-Killelea and the rest of her staff for their unwavering work in providing humanitarian assistance at our southern border. I would also like to thank my colleagues for their hard work in helping me secure these funds for our communities.”
Influx of Migrants in the Southern Border
Earlier this year, Congress passed the FY19 Border Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill allocating $30 million to directly reimburse our local governments and non-profits, who have sheltered the burden of migrants crossing the border. Due to the unprecedented levels of migration and the high volume of migrants being released from federal custody at the U.S.-Mexico border, non-profits and local communities along the southern border are shouldering the financial burdens of providing humanitarian relief to these families and unaccompanied children. These expenses incurred by border communities include food, water, hygiene products, medicine, medical supplies, temporary housing, and transportation.
In the summer of 2014, the United States faced a similar influx of migrants from Central America to the Rio Grande Valley. In response to this humanitarian crisis, Congressman Cuellar helped secure language in the FY15–FY18 Department of Homeland Security funding bills to allow border states to use Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) State Homeland Security Program funds to reimburse local governments and non-profits. Although the State of Texas received $100 million in FEMA State Homeland Security Program funds, only $400,000 were actually reimbursed due to the disbursement process to non-profits and local communities that took on the burden of caring for these children and adults. The language in FY19 Border Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill established a new pathway for these funds to be distributed through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program in order to bypass the state and provide funds directly to communities in need.
Emergency Food and Shelter Program
The $30 million in federal funding was allocated through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). The $30 million was divided into two sums for distribution: $25 million was designated for border states most impacted by the influx of migrants, including Texas, and the other $5 million was allocated for the rest of the country. EFSP is a federal program administrated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Any agency that provided direct services from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019 in response to an influx of southern border migrants in their community who were released from DHS custody could be considered to receive reimbursements.
The purpose of the EFSP is to supplement and expand the ongoing work of local social service organizations, both non-profit and governmental, who provide shelter, food and supportive services to individuals and families who have economic emergencies. The program’s National Board, chaired by FEMA, includes representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities USA; The Jewish Federations of North America; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Salvation Army; and United Way Worldwide.
To see Congressman Cuellar’s language on HHS protocols for caring for migrant children, click here.
To see the FY19 Emergency Border Supplemental, click here.
 announced over $2,599.32 for humanitarian reimbursement to United Way of South Texas as part of a $30 million funding package the Congressman secured, which will return funding to dozens of other municipalities and nonprofits across Texas and the United States.){kind=link}