The Congressman wrote to the Secretary of Homeland Security to request clarification about over $5 million in previously obligated emergency food and shelter funds designated for Pima County, Arizona. Pima County had requested an extension to use the remaining funds but was denied. Without the funds, Pima County will have to use new shelter and services program allocations earlier than projected, potentially leading to service disruptions. The Congressman asked the Secretary to reconsider or provide details on how the $5.2 million in remaining funds would be used, as arrivals and costs for assisting migrants have increased significantly.
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Gallego Letter To Mayorkas On Pima County
The Congressman wrote to the Secretary of Homeland Security to request clarification about over $5 million in previously obligated emergency food and shelter funds designated for Pima County, Arizona. Pima County had requested an extension to use the remaining funds but was denied. Without the funds, Pima County will have to use new shelter and services program allocations earlier than projected, potentially leading to service disruptions. The Congressman asked the Secretary to reconsider or provide details on how the $5.2 million in remaining funds would be used, as arrivals and costs for assisting migrants have increased significantly.
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December 14, 2023
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20016
Dear Secretary Mayorkas:
I request that your agency immediately provide clarification about the whereabouts and permitted uses of over $5 million in previously obligated funds that were designated for Pima County, Arizona through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program- Humanitarian Phase HR22. The county has been informed that they were denied an extension for the use of these funds. At a time of increased arrivals to the border, this funding is crucial, and this lack of transparency is unacceptable. As you know, throughout this year, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program- Humanitarian (ESFP-H) has been phased out and replaced by the Shelter and Services Program (SSP). During this transition period, local governments and nonprofits that serve migrant populations have continued to spend down the money they were previously awarded under EFSP-H. Unfortunately, as I have written to you in the past, SSP has been underfunded in its first year and its limited resources have been largely diverted away from the border. As a result, responsible stewards of federal funding across Arizona have worked tirelessly to make their existing funding last as long and go as far as possible. This has included using ESFP-H funding, sometimes past the intended window of use, to make services available for as long as possible and postpone funding cliffs created by inaction in Congress. I recently heard from Pima County, who also serves as the fiscal agent for Santa Cruz County and Cochise County, that their request for an extension of the period in which they can spend their remaining ESFP-H funds was denied- for a second time. Their remaining HR22 award balance of $5,216,146.91 would be instrumental in addressing the escalating number of asylum seekers released into Arizona in recent months and preventing the collapse of Southwest Border Coalition operations. Without this funding, Pima County will be forced to begin spending SSP allocations to avoid revenue deficits, leading to a far earlier fiscal cliff than initially projected- as soon as March of 2024. As you know, the number of asylum seekers arriving in Arizona has risen in recent months: according to Pima County’s own data, their monthly average of asylum seekers served has increased from 7,142 in 2022 to 14,816 in 2023. The increasing number of migrants arriving in the Tucson sector has also resulted in surging costs. For example, Pima County’s monthly costs to serve asylum seekers increased from $2,779,891.88 to $3,983,396.16 (a 43.29% increase) between June and October 2023, using the most cost-efficient practices. Costs for food have increased by 293% and costs for transportation have increased by 95% in that same window. Pima County has successfully managed over $65 million in ESFP-H awards in the last four years, and was so trusted by FEMA that they were asked to serve as the fiscal agent for other entities in the Tucson area. To pivot from entrusting Pima County with significant funds and grant management responsibilities to ignoring their requests for how to spend their own money is inconsistent and requires explanation. If EFSP board is unwilling to reconsider their decision, I also request a full detail of where Pima County’s remaining $5,216,146.91 will go and how it will be used. This Congressionally provided and Congressionally mandated funding must be accounted for. As Arizona faces looming fiscal cliffs and increasing risks of street releases under both the EFSP-H and SSP programs, I will continue to follow up to request insight into these decision- making processes. Sincerely,