By Forum Staff
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-Bronx and Manhattan) recently introduced the Destination Reception Assistance Act, legislation to expand the federal government’s role in the reception of new arrivals by establishing the Destination Reception Services Program, a new fund to promote self-sufficiency; reduce costs of extended emergency shelter; provide diversion from homelessness; and promote the effective navigation and compliance of the immigration process. The new program would complement the existing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program that provides critical support such as food, water, shelter, and medical treatment to new immigrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security.
“Immigrants come to the United States in search of safety and refuge, many of them fleeing from dangerous conditions in their home countries and making arduous journeys,” said Meng. “Our immigration system needs the resources to process and receive all the people who come here in humane and orderly ways. This increasingly includes the work of local and state government agencies as well as non-profit organizations, like those in my home state of New York, which serve individuals who are navigating the immigration process. The Destination Reception Assistance Act would ensure that the federal government is doing its part to support communities welcoming immigrants and providing them with temporary housing, legal aid, job training, and other help they may need. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this long-overdue legislation to make our immigration system more orderly, efficient, and welcoming.”
“I am proud to co-lead the introduction of the Destination Reception Assistance Act,” Espaillat said. “This innovative bill would provide billions in new funding to assist cities and localities across the nation that are the ‘final destination’ for asylum seekers—including in New York City. In addition to helping keep families together through temporary economic relief, this new legislation would supplement the existing ‘Shelter and Services Program’ and allow cities to welcome asylum seekers with dignity by providing them with longer-term assistance as they find work and integrate into American life. Our bill provides a lifeline to asylum seeking families who have fled unspeakable harm and come to America to work and pursue the American dream.”
The Destination Reception Assistance Act would establish in the Office of Refugee Resettlement a new Destination Reception Services Program New Arrival Services Board and authorize a grant program to provide funding for medium-term services to asylum seekers and parolees, including noncustodial housing services, rental and utility assistance, and workforce development services. The New Arrival Services Board would award competitive grants and federal block grants to communities that provide eligible services to asylum seekers and parolees. Communities receiving funding through federal block grants would be eligible to receive $1 of federal funding for every $1 of non-federal funding.
By promoting self-sufficiency, the Destination Reception Services Program will take pressure off states, localities, and non-profit emergency providers and free up public resources for everyone. Access to shelter, housing, workforce development, and other support services will allow our neighbors and communities to thrive, Meng said.
