20 OCT 2023

Immigration Hub Responds to White House Supplemental Funding Request for Immigration Priorities

WASHINGTON – Today, the White House released the details of the $106 billion supplemental funding request for foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine. The package includes a request for $14 billion to direct additional resources to border security, asylum processing, regional initiatives, and support for receiving communities throughout the U.S.

In response to the request, Immigration Hub Executive Director Kerri Talbot issued the following statement:

“We welcome the administration prioritizing essential support to U.S. cities; funds for USCIS and the asylum system; and the expansion of safe and legal pathways for immigrant families coming to the U.S. at a time when GOP extremists are laser-focused on stirring chaos and cruelty for political gain.

We’re disappointed to see the administration’s request to fund 46,000 detention beds. We encourage Congress to pursue humane alternatives to detention, including community-based supports proven to be effective and to save taxpayer dollars. We are also concerned the request would more than triple last year’s funding request for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as add an additional 1300 border patrol agents.

Republicans seem more interested in sowing chaos to run their races on border security rather than real solutions and this funding request calls into question whether Republicans will actually govern and provide the resources necessary to manage the southern border. Democrats must prioritize funds for an under-resourced system and hold the line against slapdash policy changes that are likely to make a challenging situation worse.”

Background: Included in the request is $755 million for USCIS to hire an additional 1600 asylum officers, alongside other support staff, to mitigate the growing backlog of applications for work permits and refugee protection. Additional funding would go toward hiring 375 immigration judge teams, the largest increase to strengthen the immigration court system ever. State and local governments on the frontlines of welcoming new arrivals would also see additional federal aid, with $1.4 billion designated for “life line” supports such as food, clothing, medical care, legal support, and transportation. The administration also intends to put $1.3 billion toward supporting regional migration solutions in the Americas, an essential strategy to manage and mitigate the flow of migrants to the southern border.

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.