REGION — The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on April 30 to advance a proposal for a long-term migrant and asylum-seeker transit center that includes $19.6 million in federal money.
According to a statement from Supervisor Joel Anderson and Chairwoman Nora Vargas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services Program money comes after the county “spent months” advocating for it.
Supervisors directed Sarah Aghassi, interim chief administrative officer, to begin programs that will temporarily provide shelter, food, transportation, acute medical care, personal hygiene supplies and labor to support migrants recently released from federal Department of Homeland Security custody.
Until the county receives the federal dollars, it will use money from its general fund reserves, to the extent it is available, officials said.
Aghassi will make a formal funding request during the board’s May 21 meeting. She will also apply for grant money to help migrants.
Anderson, who sponsored the proposal with Vargas, said Tuesday’s action wasn’t perfect but was “a step in the right direction,” and can ensure that migrants aren’t exploited or end up homeless.
He also praised Vargas for “helping make this a bipartisan solution.”
Anderson noted that, since last September, the San Diego region has experienced 135,000 migrant street releases. He added that, until it closed in February, the county’s migrant center processed over 80,000 people, with 99% continuing on to other locations.
In a statement, Vargas – who is resting her voice due to a vocal cord issue – said the funding “is vital for providing dignified and humane assistance, including essential resources such as food, clothing and crucial information to safely guide people to their intended destinations.”
“I want to thank my colleagues for their support in advancing our long-term migrant transition center,” she added. “Together, we are working to tackle the global humanitarian crisis at our border by expediting the asylum process, reducing street releases, and ensuring that asylum-seekers are treated with the utmost dignity as they seek safety and a brighter future.”
Supervisors last October approved $3 million, followed by an additional $3 million in December, to open a temporary migrant center.
After the center was closed due to a lack of funding, supervisors in late February approved Vargas’ proposal for a sustainable, federally funded center.
Anderson and Vargas added that the U.S. Congress passed a spending bill on March 23, which includes funding for the FEMA Shelter and Services Program.
Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe and Terra Lawson-Remer were supportive of the long-term shelter plan.
Lawson-Remer said it was important to have feedback from nonprofit groups that have been on the ground helping migrants, while Montgomery Steppe called for a transparent planning process.
Aghassi said the county has heard “loud and clear,” from groups that help migrants, and is planning to meet with them as early as next week.
Supervisor Jim Desmond, who has criticized federal immigration policy, was opposed.
Desmond said that while he appreciates federal assistance, the money doesn’t address safety and security, and should be used to screen migrants entering the United States.
Further, Desmond added that more money is needed to prevent boats with undocumented migrants from arriving on shore.
The federal government “is giving us money for us to deal with the problem they created,” Desmond said.
Desmond said that, based on how quickly the county spent $6 million over a five-month period, the one-time federal funding would last one year, “leaving the problem in our lap, with no long-term plan.”
During a public comment period, several nonprofit representatives proposed ways to help migrants.
Citing recent criticism of SBCS – the Chula Vista-based nonprofit that previously received county money to assist migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border – Flower Alvarez Lopez of Universidad Popular said the county needs to be more mindful of which agency gets funding, and work with people who have expertise on helping migrants.
Erin Tsurumoto Grassi of Alliance San Diego said that, along with accountability and transparency, there needs to be an open bidding process for any future contractor, and that general funds should not limit which migrants can receive help.
County resident and activist Michelle Krug praised the board’s action, saying migrants “are only here to better their lives for them and their children.”
