The Trump administration plans to divert at least $155 million in federal disaster aid to beef up funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a recent letter to acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) said the administration hasn’t provided an adequate justification for funneling money from FEMA’s disaster fund to an account that supports facilities for immigration court proceedings.
The congresswoman’s letter comes after the Trump administration notified Congress earlier this month that it intends to pour more money into ICE by shifting funds out of other Department of Homeland Security accounts.
Roybal-Allard, who chairs the House subcommittee that funds DHS, also noted that the Trump administration wants to shift funding to expand detention capacity, “despite a significant reduction in single adults crossing the border since early June.”
“It is of great concern that during the course of this administration, there has been a growing disconnect between the will of Congress, as represented by ICE funding levels in enacted appropriations bills signed by the president, and the department’s immigration enforcement proceedings, which often lack justification,” she wrote.
While the administration doesn’t require congressional approval to shift the funds, Roybal-Allard urged DHS to work with the House Appropriations Committee “to restore the partnership we once had in support of the Department’s many important missions.”
The administration made a similar move last year when it redirected $200 million from various DHS accounts into ICE by pulling from the Coast Guard, TSA aviation security and more.
Nearly $10 million was diverted from FEMA at the start of hurricane season, sparking congressional backlash.The federal government has already spent hundreds of billions of dollars in recent years to help states and territories recover from record-breaking storms. Puerto Rico declared a state emergency on Tuesday, with Tropical Storm Dorian threatening to reach hurricane strength.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine