WASHINGTON, D.C.—After the U.S. House passed a bipartisan Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations package that includes $650 million to replenish the Shelter and Services Program, Congressmen Greg Stanton and Raúl Grijalva called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to allocate an initial round of funding as soon as possible, and ensure border communities are prioritized.

“We urge [you] to quickly award an initial round of funding to border communities so they can continue their necessary operations and minimize the impact on local communities,” the Congressmen wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

The last FY23 award was allocated in September of last year, and communities in Southern Arizona are set to run out of federal funds by March 31. The Congressmen added, “After funding runs dry at the end of the month, these critical organizations will be forced to close their doors. Federal law enforcement in Arizona will instead begin to release migrants onto the streets, creating what one local official calls, ‘homelessness on steroids.’”

The full letter is available HERE.

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the appropriations package tomorrow, before it’s sent to the President’s desk to be signed.