D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton has introduced a bill in the House to provide $50 million in emergency aid for thousands of migrants being bused into the District from Texas and Arizona.
The money would go to FEMA’s emergency food and shelter program, and Norton said the funding would cover humanitarian aid to migrants, including those being bused into the District.
The delegate’s request comes a day after the Pentagon rejected a request for the D.C. National Guard to help the District handle the stream of migrants.
On Aug. 5, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said his state had transported 6,500 migrants to the nation’s capital since April. Texas has also bused migrants to New York City.
Norton accused the governors of Texas and Arizona of exploiting and harming desperate and vulnerable migrants for political gain. Abbott has said the busing is a response to the Biden administration’s border policies that are overwhelming Texas communities.
Meantime, a spokesman for D.C. Public Schools said Tuesday that migrant children will be welcomed into the school system.
“We are committed to supporting families in the District and are proud to welcome students to DCPS. We have a process in place to support families who have arrived here under these types of circumstances and will be providing direct enrollment and other DCPS supports,” the school system said in a statement.
