FEMA Reimburses Pima County Nearly $10 Million for Asylum Seeker Services After Advocacy from Senators Kelly and Gallego
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reimbursed Pima County, Arizona, approximately $9.6 million for costs incurred in providing services to legally processed asylum seekers. This includes $6.1 million for fiscal year 2023 and an additional $3.5 million for fiscal year 2024. The reimbursement follows persistent advocacy from Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, who pressed FEMA to fulfill its commitment under the federal Shelter and Services Program (SSP). Pima County and other Arizona non-profit organizations utilized SSP funding to offer short-term emergency services, such as food, shelter, and transportation, to asylum seekers who had been processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during a period of border crisis. These services were crucial in preventing hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers from being released into Arizona border communities without support. The SSP was established by Congress with bipartisan support to provide financial assistance to local gover...