Non-border cities receive a bulk of FEMA shelter funds
New York City received over $100 million, while Arizona got $23 million in the most recent funding round
YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - Hundreds of millions of FEMA funds are being sent to American cities due to the border crisis, but lawmakers say border cities themselves are being skipped over.
Over $100 million was sent to New York City, as Mayor Eric Adams said over 70,000 migrants have come to the city.
The state of Arizona received $23 million in the most recent funding round.
“It's definitely not fair that the border communities which are the first stop in this journey are somehow forgotten," Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) said.
Representative Gallego said the differences in funding shows the government isn’t addressing the border crisis at the border itself and hopes the next funding round will be different.
"I want to make sure we put them on notice, that our border communities should not be left behind or punished by the formula change," Gallego said.
Despite giving out hundreds of millions of dollars to non-border cities, in April, FEMA denied the local Regional Center for Border Health $300,000 in reimbursement money for the services they provide to migrants.
The center and state lawmakers are still trying to resolve the denial.
