Staff Reports
A group of Democratic legislators is advocating for more funding to be allocated to the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP) run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This program assists undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who are waiting for their court dates by offering legal aid, mental health resources, and access to social services. The Department of Homeland Security has identified the Church World Service (CWS), a group that has previously advocated for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as a member of the CMPP board.
A new report by @ACLU & @P4HR reveals @ICEgov force-fed hunger strikers by threatening them with deportation, excessive force, or relocation to other facilities.
This cruelty and coercion is unacceptable. #AbolishICE #FreeThemAllhttps://t.co/XdX2GjAWx3
— CWS (@CWS_global) June 24, 2021
The Church World Service (CWS) determines the allocation of federal funds to non-governmental organizations. As per its website, the faith-based group received more than $114 million from the U.S. government between July 2021 and June 2022. In a tweet in 2021, CWS used the hashtag “AbolishICE” and urged the Obama administration to put a stop to ICE “raids” on undocumented immigrants.
On Monday, Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal from Washington, Jerrold Nadler from New York, Nanette Diaz Barragán from California, and 33 other members of Congress sent a letter to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Shalanda Young, requesting substantial funding for the CMPP program. Jayapal emphasized that Secretary Mayorkas was correct in stating that immigration detention is excessively used and that cost-effective, humane alternatives such as the CMPP are necessary to reduce dependence on profit-driven detention facilities.
According to the letter, Democratic lawmakers are seeking to maintain the current funding level of $20 million for the CMPP program in the next fiscal year’s budget, as allocated in the fiscal year 2023 congressional spending bill. However, Republican Representative from Texas, Lance Gooden, believes that the program is incentivizing illegal immigration. He claims that FEMA grant programs are simply a source of money for NGOs and nonprofit organizations that are aiding the invasion of our southern border and that there is no accountability or oversight for these programs.
The Church World Service supported the letter sent by the Democratic lawmakers but did not provide a comment in response to the request. Additionally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond immediately to the request for comment.
The issue surrounding the CMPP program has been ongoing since it began in 2021. Democrats are pushing to increase funding for the program, but Republicans are worried that it is encouraging illegal immigration. The CMPP program is overseen by the Church World Service, which has previously sought the abolition of ICE and has received over $114 million in federal funding between July 2021 and June 2022. Congress has the final say on whether to raise the program’s funding in the next fiscal year’s budget.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Caller
