Dems Call for Additional $20 Million in Funding for Controversial DHS Program Aiding Illegal Immigrants; Democrats Want $20M for Less Intrusive Migrant Case Management Program

Dems call for additional $20 million in funding for controversial DHS program aiding illegal immigrants:

DHS program has faced pushback from Republicans over its links to anti-ICE nonprofit

Top House Democrats are calling for “robust funding” of a controversial pilot program that aids illegal immigrants facing deportation — while also saying that funding should not be accompanied by more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surveillance of those in the U.S. illegally.

Thirty-six Democrats led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Jerrold Nadler, D-NY and Nanette Diaz Barragin, D-Calif., urge the Office of Management and Budget to continue the $20 million in funding for the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP).

They also call for the OMB to “instruct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize establishing the program and that the expansion of CMPP does not result in an expansion of individuals subject to ICE surveillance through detention and electronic surveillance.”

The CMPP was authorized by Congress in the 2021 DHS Appropriations Act, which provided $5 million in funding to FEMA for the program. It was funding for an additional $20 million in the FY 23 appropriations bill.

The program provides “voluntary case management and other services” to illegal immigrants in immigration removal proceedings, including mental health services, school enrollment, legal aid, “cultural orientation programs” and connections to social services — as well as human trafficking screening and departure planning for those being deported.

The services are intended for migrants enrolled in ICE’s Alternative to Detention program — which involves more than 300,000 illegal immigrants being tracked by a variety of methods including ankle bracelets, phone check-in and smart-phone apps. —>READ MORE HERE

Democrats want $20M for less intrusive migrant case management program:

Three dozen Democrats in Congress are asking for millions of dollars for the Department of Homeland Security to expand a migrant case management program that assists asylum-seekers living in the United States without detention or technical surveillance.

The House members — including several from the border states of California, Texas and Arizona — have sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget asking for $20 million in the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal to expand the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP), which is under the Department of Homeland Security.

The program is designed to pair asylum-seekers with nonprofits to help them navigate legal and social challenges as they go through immigration court proceedings while living in the United States.

“Case management programs have proven highly effective to ensure that individuals can navigate immigration proceedings and comply with the process while reducing our reliance on immigration detention. Moreover, case management is more cost-effective and humane compared to immigration detention,” according to the letter sent Thursday. “Investment in case management is crucial to reduce our reliance on immigration detention while ensuring that individuals who lack community ties and would benefit from additional assistance have assistance to comply with immigration proceedings.”

The Fiscal Year 2023 budget included $20 million for the program, but lawmakers say DHS has been slow to utilize the funds and fully roll out the program. —>READ MORE HERE

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