Arizona officials announce nearly $55M in federal border response funds

PHOENIX — Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema announced nearly $55 million in federal border response funds to support Arizona’s border communities.

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Shelter and Services Program (SSP) funds will assist communities managing the ongoing border crisis, according to officials.

“Arizona’s local governments and nonprofits are on the frontlines doing the vital work that keeps asylum seekers and communities safe, and this funding will help them continue operations and support our border communities,” Kelly said in a press release.

Officials say that SSP funds are used to reimburse local governments and nonprofits who provide shelter, food, transportation, and support services to asylum seekers arriving at Arizona’s southern border.

Last month, Kelly and Sinema announced that they secured $650 million for SSP for the remaining fiscal year.

According to the press release, Pima County will receive $21,827,581 and Maricopa County will receive $11,606,329. The World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task Force will receive $11,606,329 in Maricopa, and $9,532,854 in Yuma.

“Today’s funds will help Arizona border nonprofits keep their doors open – preventing street releases and providing humane treatment of migrants seeking asylum,” Sinema said in the press release.

Recent history of securing federal border response funds

In the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill, Kelly and Sinema secured $800 million to create the new CBP and SSP. According to officials, this was done to cover the costs incurred by local governments and non-governmental organizations that managed migrant encounters at the border. Officials say that the federal government awarded more money to East Coast cities than to the entire state of Arizona.

In February, Kelly and Sinema sent a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging them to allocate sufficient SSP funding.

“Senator Sinema and I fought for these resources, and we’ll continue demanding the federal government prioritize communities at the border.” Kelly said in the press release.