Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, announced an additional $43,675,626 in Shelter and Services Program funding Wednesday for non-governmental organizations providing support to migrants awaiting their immigration court proceedings.
The Jewish Family Service of San Diego received $22,077,365 and Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego received $21,598,261 in SSP funding to assist newly arrived migrants. This funding — which goes toward necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, medical care and transportation — is in addition to the over $39 million in SSP funding announced in April.
“Everyone seeking asylum and refuge in the United States should be treated with respect, dignity and humanity. This badly needed funding will help San Diego nonprofits continue to provide migrant communities with food, shelter and other critical services,” Vargas said. “As always, I’ll keep pushing for comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the root causes of migration, helps restore faith in our legal immigration system, and creates a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders and farmworkers.”
SSP funding comes from the Department of Homeland Security, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The agencies awarded $300 million nationally.
In April, the county of San Diego and the Catholic Diocese of San Diego County were both awarded $19,592,554.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors allocated $3 million in October 2023 and an additional $3 million in December 2023 to operate a temporary Migrant Transitional Center. Following its closure due to lack of funding, Vargas advocated for a federally funded migrant transition center, which was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 27.
City News Service contributed to this article.