WASHINGTON – The federal government will distribute $18 million in grants to five agencies in San Antonio and Bexar County that are providing services to migrants seeking asylum.
Among the agencies to receive funding include:
- Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, $10,877,226
- City of San Antonio, $3,000,000
- San Antonio Food Bank, $2,400,000
- Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, $1,041,370
- Interfaith Welcome Coalition, $500,000
The funding was announced Friday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Shelter and Services Program. A total of $300 million will be issued to agencies nationwide.
The Shelter and Services Program is administered by FEMA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection and provides federal funding for non-federal entities to reimburse costs incurred for services associated with noncitizen migrant arrivals in their communities. The funding announced Friday is the first part in the FY24 federal assistance, with more funding to be announced at a later date.
US Representatives Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Greg Casar of Austin, who worked to get the funding, released the following statement:
Because of the historic number of people being displaced from Latin America, this additional funding for shelter and services for migrants is a lifeline to the San Antonio and South Texas region. We have been in constant communication with Secretary Mayorkas and Administrator Criswell about the urgent need for this funding in San Antonio, and we thank them for their work in allocating the first tranche of FY24 funds quickly. We will continue working at all levels of government to ensure that the San Antonio region is equipped with the necessary resources to work with migrants traveling through our community.