President Trump’s ending of the safe release program is costing cities and counties. Congress is debating a bill that would at least partially reimburse them.
SPEED READ:
- Since President Trump ended the so-called safe release program last fall, local governments have been picking up the costs of handling asylum seekers.
- The expenses have cost San Diego County, Calif., an estimated $2.3 million so far.
- The problem isn’t just along the southern border.
As Congress enters a standoff over a $4.6 billion border aid bill, scores of local governments say financial relief can’t come fast enough.
Cities and counties, particularly along the border with Mexico, are spending millions of dollars screening people entering the country seeking asylum and placing them in a temporary home while they await their legal hearing. It’s a job the federal government used to do until last fall when President Trump ended the so-called safe release program that processed asylum seekers and set them up with housing.
GOVERNING.COM
BY LIZ FARMER | JUNE 28, 2019 AT 4:00 AM