The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pulled $271 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and even Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to fund immigrant facilities (which are operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement) at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Even with the shuffled funds, DHS still lacks sufficient facilities to detain everyone arriving at the border and requesting asylum or other relief from removal. Therefore, it continues to release more than 200 migrants a day into the U.S. interior.
In addition to $155 million taken from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, $39 million was removed from CBP’s budget, and more than $45 million was siphoned from Coast Guard. TSA took a $24 million hit.
The “reprogrammed” funds will help pay for new immigration hearing facilities and more ICE detention beds and transportation resources.
“ICE has already had to increase the number of detention beds above what Congress funded,” DHS explained in a statement. “Without additional funding … ICE will not be able to support the influx of migrants from [CBP] apprehensions.”
As it is, overwhelmed border agents are releasing illegal aliens at an average rate of 208 a day. Under “catch and release” practices, most illegal entrants disappear and once they are sent on their way into the U.S. never appear for any scheduled immigration hearings.
“House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bonnie Thompson, D- Mississippi, warned that “taking money away from TSA and from FEMA in the middle of hurricane season could have deadly consequences.” However, so could leaving our border unsecured and letting illegal aliens wander unsupervised about the U.S. DHS is the agency charged with responding to both situations, so it is proverbially damned either way.
Congress’s failure to properly fund border operations has created the worst of both worlds in which federal agency budgets (including CBP’s) are cannibalized while illegal aliens are set loose to roam the country.
So, add the $271 million in diverted funds to the ever-mounting cost illegal immigration imposes on this country. In 2017, FAIR estimated the tab at $134.9 billion a year. That number (more than double what this country spends on defense research and development) is growing by the day, and America is no safer for it.
7 Comments
It does not matter. Trump’s hands are tied. He has tried everything and gets stopped in his tracks. It does not matter that illegals are breaking one law after another. They seem to be exempt to the rules of our land. It does not matter that our country has turned into a homeless one, or that our facilities are overwhelmed with short funds because our funds are being funneled into sanctuary cities to name a few. It is a hopeless situation. Makes me wonder why citizens are not heard and responded with positive action. Help our citizens first, Period. And , why vote? My voice is never heard.
When the caravans began arriving in December 2018, I was under the impression that all these people were going to be turned away and not allowed to cross the border. I thought that our military would be there to help prevent the influx. Well, it didn’t turn out that way and now we are still being bombarded by these invaders. They simply overrun our border and think nothing of it because of our lax Congress and stupid Democratic Presidential candidates. It is just so infuriating that I try not to even think about it anymore! Pres. Trump is our only ally who has the power to address this dilemma and he has been trying very hard to fight the leftist party, but with all the court challenges and opposition it has been a nightmare!
this is INSANE!!! THIS MUST END!!! STOP ALLOWING THEM INTO THE COUNTRY.. PUT THEM ON BUS OR PLANE BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM!!! We continue to spend our tax dollars on illegal aliens who have NO right to be in our country!!! How long is this insanity going to continue???? HOW long does anyone think this can continue before our country collapses under the strain of more and more illegal aliens flood this country looking for a hand out… and we keep handing them more and more of OUR rights and benefits as citizens which encourages more and more of them to keep on coming here…. I don’t care who comes here to live and work and be part of America…BUT DO IT LEGALLY!!!! These illegal aliens have NO respect for our laws and our country… STOP ALL FREE HANDOUTS TO ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS AND STOP ALL ANCHOR BABIES and you will find a big drop in the how many illegal aliens come… and ALL who enter illegally should be removed IMMEDIATELY!!!! EITHER WE ARE A COUNTRY OR WE ARE NOT…. HEAVEN HELP OUR COUNTRY BEFORE WE HAVE NO COUNTRY… SAVE AMERICA AND VOTE TRUMP 2020… AND REMOVE ALL DEMOCRAT SWAMP RATS FROM OFFICE
The Dems control the Congress. Congress says let the immigrants in. CONGRESS is responsible for ALL THE IMMIGRATION DISASTERS AND THE HOMELESS Horrible fiasco. The DEMS ALL MUST BE unseated if America is to survive. The Dems OBVIOUSLY don’t have the good of America in mind or they wouldn’t choose the immigrants over US!!
No illegal should go free in the United States. With no money how are they to provide for themselves – steal, rape and kill? Have planes to several country’s, board them and drop them of in their capitol its. It is not our country’s responsibility to provide and educate these 3rd world people. Our education system is as it’s lowest and some cities don’t have the means to provide fir them. Meanwhile our own American kids are sing put on the back burner while they cater to 3rd world kids! This has to stop!
This is beyond crazy !! WE HAVE AMERICANS LIVING IN CARDBOARD BOXES ON THE DAMN STREETS 😡😡😡😡
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