$380 Million Sweetener for Towns That Take Migrants

The federal government is giving communities rallying around immigrants recently released from border patrol custody a share of $380 million.
It’s the latest wave of funding, after over $259 million was allocated in April as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Shelter and Services Program (SSP). In 2023, over $780 million was distributed,
DHS said the scheme was in such high demand, not all applications from groups and communities could be granted.
“This grant cycle provides a new opportunity through a competitive program and builds on the support being provided to communities on the border and in the interior,” DHS said in a press release Wednesday.
The money is used by organizations working to offer food, shelter and clothing to migrants, as well as healthcare and transportation.
Previous recipients of funds include counties such as Pima County in Arizona, which received $21.8 million, through to smaller church ministry organizations with grants around $10,000.
States along the border and elsewhere have previously seen grants. In the last round, over 30 Texas organizations and local governments were given cash.
FEMA projects that dozens of projects will be given grants by the time the scheme completes in September 2026.
Community organizations and county authorities often bear the cost of noncitizens, especially when they are released from Customs and Border Protection custody along the southwest border.
Those awaiting immigration or asylum hearings may have very little personal possessions or means to pay for services. SSP is designed to ensure a “humane” release from custody for those new arrivals.
In October 2023, mayors from across the U.S. said there was an urgent need for additional funding for the communities looking after migrants.
“We are mayors from cities all over America – cities on or near the border and cities in other parts of the country to which migrants, including those awaiting asylum requests, have come,” the 139 mayors said in a joint letter to Congress.
“While we welcome migrants to our cities, we need more help to provide them food, housing, services and access to employment,” the group continued. “In many of our cities, both city government agencies and local non-profits are overwhelmed; they simply cannot keep up with the need to provide them this most basic assistance.”
At the time, border crossings were high, but DHS said Wednesday that numbers had dropped significantly in recent months, potentially signaling a drop in demand in the coming months.
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