The Trump administration is refusing to honor over $52.6 million in federal funding to Pima County, accusing officials of engaging in or facilitating illegal immigration.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notified Pima County of its denial of three grants awarded in 2023, with one set to expire in September of this year and the remaining two set to expire in September 2026.
The grants were awarded for the county’s Shelter and Services Program (SSP).
“The Department of Homeland Security has significant concerns that SSP funding is going to entities engaged in or facilitating illegal activities,” said DHS/FEMA. “The Department is concerned that entities receiving payment under this program may be guilty of encouraging or inducing an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States in violation of law; transporting or moving illegal aliens; harboring, concealing, or shielding from detection illegal aliens; or applicable conspiracy, aiding or abetting, or attempt liability respecting these statutes.”
DHS/FEMA requested the county to provide the following information within 30 days of the letter: all documents regarding the aliens with whom their departments and subrecipients and contracts interacted with in carrying out the scope of their SSP award, including their names and contact information; and a detailed and descriptive list of specific services provided, and proof of provision of these services. DHS/FEMA allowed the county to appeal its decision within 60 days of the letter.
DHS/FEMA further notified Pima County it would require signed affidavits denying participation in immigration crimes from county officials and executive officers of all subrecipients or contractors receiving SSP federal funding.
Pima County wasn’t the only one to receive such a letter from DHS/FEMA. According to a memorandum from the county administrator issued on Wednesday, the state of Arizona, both Maricopa and Yuma counties, and a Maricopa County-based nonprofit organization received similar letters suspending federal funds for illegal immigrants.
That same memorandum reported county leaders would provide an update on the DHS/FEMA letter and other federal projects during its upcoming board of supervisors meeting next Tuesday.
Maricopa County’s next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26. Yuma County’s next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 24.
Pima County received tens of millions over the course of the Biden administration, though the county frequently reported operating on a deficit due to services provided outpacing federal resources.
By last May, the county reported assisting nearly half a million illegal aliens with federal funding. Aid provided included medical, food, housing, and transportation. The county averaged assistance of around (usually above) 1,000 illegal immigrants a day. This came to cost, at minimum, $1 million a week.
The county warned sheltering services would cost between $50 million to $60 million a year to maintain without federal funding, with county leadership acknowledging the state of immigration to be a “crisis.”
The DHS/FEMA letter may have come at no surprise to Pima County. In January, the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the board of supervisors directed the county to decrease its funding by 99 percent (from nearly $3 million to just over $33,000) for illegal immigrant shelter and services.
I’ve been waiting for this to happen and got out my big bowl of popcorn. Thank you President Donald J. Trump and all his workforce. Kudos to Elon Musk and Kash Patel as well as Dan Bongino and hundreds of true patiots.
This coup de grâce is simply delicious: “DHS/FEMA further notified Pima County it would require signed affidavits denying participation in immigration crimes…”
When they cry, “Muh funding! Taking it is unconstitutional!”, all the administration has to say is, ‘Then attest you weren’t doing something illegal and we’ll release the funds.’
We know that they’ll try to deflect or ignore the elephant in the room, but that’s the funny nature of metaphorical pachyderms …
The entire economy of Tucson/Pima County is based on human smuggling, none greater than the government. Just wait til the 30-40% of seats in public schools are empty from the exodus of illegals.
Oh, wait, now the liberals got to spend local tax money on their precious ILLEGALS. Watch this crap come to a screeching halt. As long as it was our tax money, they didn’t care, but now they have to take care of their precious ILLEGALS with their local tax money. Just love it when a plan comes together. Raul is rolling is his grave and his daughter and faux mayor are so pissed it’s unbelievable. Love it……I want to see how they spin this one…..Regina already got one tax vote shoved and now this.
We can only pray that justice wins!
The fraud and aiding and abetting come to an end, thanks be to God for President Trump!!!
Somewhere, a self-described ‘ecelectic’ liberal female wearing a straw hat in Tucson is having a hissy fit.
much more to come
many are reporting PIMA COUNTY/TUCSON democratic crimes
This is called accountability. Watch how the county and the city will try weaseling out of this. I hope there will be consequences if they do not comply.
The illegal actions of some of our politicians and bureaucrats is about to be exposed. They all never conceived of being held accountable to the taxpayers for thumbing their noses at the law. Your time is up.
Just wait til the 30-40% of seats in Tucson’s school district go empty as the illegals head home. Tucson/Pima County will be financially devastated.
HOTEL ROW – the freeway and Benson Hwy rental housing illegals – NO MAS ! I stopped to eat lunch in a parking lot of a closed hotel (work life) a guard came to me to leave – that COVID was in the hotel.. I buzzed the window UP…zzzzzz. Hiding the illegals.. a big game. As are the huge tents near the DUMP on SE side of town.. beware signs of leave or ‘join us’? treats. NO PARK. I thought it was an agricultural growing tent – not a people farm. hmmmm CLOSE EM