Heinrich, Luján Call For Additional Emergency Food And Shelter Program Assistance For NGOs, States, And Localities Serving Migrant Families

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) are calling for $500 million in Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) so that local nonprofits, governmental social service organizations, and states/localities can continue providing humanitarian services to migrants arriving at the U.S. border. The Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) program allows these assisting NGOs and localities to provide shelter, food, transportation, and supportive services.

In a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the senators wrote, “Communities and organizations are on the front-lines of assisting migrants coming to our border, and resources are being stretched thin as they take on the role of performing a federal government function. This funding is vitally important as more cities in the United States receive refugees and asylum seekers.”

“Given that the federal government has asked states, localities, and non-profits to perform an essential governmental function, Congress must reaffirm its commitment to these states, localities, and non-profits by providing significant additional funding for EFSP,” continued the senators. “These funds are needed to ensure that shelters do not face financial difficulties or are not forced to stop their operations, which would simply shift even more of the burden to our local communities.”

In 2021 Senators Heinrich and Luján secured $110 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) in the American Rescue Plan to provide economic support for localities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide humanitarian care to migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. The measure, which mirrors bipartisan legislation Senator Heinrich introduced, was included in the American Rescue Plan. Senator Heinrich previously secured $30 million for the program in 2019 as part of an emergency border supplemental funding agreement.

Senator Heinrich co-led the letter alongside U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

Read the full text of the letter below or by clicking here.

Dear Chairman Leahy, Vice Chairman Shelby, Chairman Murphy, and Ranking Member Capito:

As you develop final FY 2023 Appropriations legislation, we urge you to provide $500 million for the Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for additional humanitarian assistance funding, which supports state, local, and non-profit service providers who are assisting the federal government with providing critical services for asylum seekers.

In light of federal capacity constraints, the federal government relies on EFSP to reimburse local nonprofit and governmental social service organizations, as well as states and localities, for providing shelter, food, transportation, and support services to asylum seekers arriving at our southern border. Communities and organizations are on the front-lines of assisting migrants coming to our border, and resources are being stretched thin as they take on the role of performing a federal government function. This funding is vitally important as more cities in the United States receive refugees and asylum seekers.

Given that the federal government has asked states, localities, and non-profits to perform an essential governmental function, Congress must reaffirm its commitment to these states, localities, and non-profits by providing significant additional funding for EFSP. These funds are needed to ensure that shelters do not face financial difficulties or are not forced to stop their operations, which would simply shift even more of the burden to our local communities.

Thank you for your consideration of this request, and we look forward to engaging with you to reaffirm this commitment.

Sincerely,

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