In advance of supplemental appropriations legislation heading to the floor for action, U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fully fund the president’s request for humanitarian assistance for unaccompanied alien children coming in to the United States at its southern border.
“There is a real humanitarian crisis at the border,” Rep. Duffy posted June 12 on Facebook. “I hope Speaker Pelosi takes seriously my letter urging her to fully fund the president’s request for more beds for immigrant children in detention facilities.”
Rep. Duffy wrote in a June 12 letter sent to Pelosi that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which provides services and beds to unaccompanied alien children (UAC), has had a major increase in referrals to their facilities.
As of April 30, the congressman wrote, the ORR had received referrals of roughly 40,800 such children, representing a 57 percent increase over fiscal year 2018.
“On May 1, 2019, the administration sent a letter to Congress requesting an emergency appropriation to address the needs of those UAC in federal custody,” Rep. Duffy wrote. “This would provide ORR the funding necessary to offer adequate lodging and care while it works to find sponsors for these children.”
If the ORR does not receive such emergency funds, Rep. Duffy said that the program “could exhaust its funding as soon as the end of June and will be forced to scale back services to these children,” thousands of whom then may have to remain in U.S. Department of Homeland Security facilities, which he wrote aren’t designed to serve as long-term shelters.
“Regardless of your political leanings, we should all agree that the critical needs of UAC should be met,” wrote Rep. Duffy. “As the father of eight, I cannot stand idly by while these children suffer. Inaction amounts to nothing less than a dereliction of our constitutional duty.”