"Absolutely not": Top U.S. border official says disaster funds have not been diverted for migrant care
CBSN
Nogales, Arizona — The U.S. government is "absolutely not" diverting hurricane and disaster relief funds to subsidize the care of migrants crossing the southern border, the top Customs and Border Protection official told CBS News in an exclusive interview.
Troy Miller, a longtime career official who has led CBP since 2022, strongly refuted false suggestions amplified by former President Donald Trump and other Republicans that federal disaster aid has been impacted by a government program that reimburses organizations assisting migrants processed at the U.S.-Mexico border. That effort, created by Congress and known as the Shelter and Services Program, is a joint initiative by CBP and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
The inaccurate claims about the Biden administration using FEMA's disaster response funding to process or resettle migrants have surfaced as communities in North Carolina, Florida and other states reel from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
