WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced the Southern Border Communities Reimbursement Act of 2021, new legislation to authorize funding to reimburse local communities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for future humanitarian care for migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. It would authorize $30 million for Fiscal Years 2021, 2022, and 2023 through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP).
“Texas communities have opened their hearts to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants, but they shouldn’t have to open their wallets to fulfill the federal government’s duties,” said Sen. Cornyn. “With this bill, I hope to provide peace of mind and certainty to Texans that they can continue to be Good Samaritans and the federal government will have their back.”
This follows Sen. Cornyn’s fight for $30 million for reimbursement to local communities and NGOs in the border supplemental appropriations bill last June after hearing from many local Texas officials and non-profits that had spent significant resources on migrant care due to increased border crossings in recent months. Texas saw the majority of migrant apprehensions and received nearly 40 percent of the funding in the first round of reimbursements.