Rep. Grijalva submits amendment to increase funding for border communities

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) submitted an amendment Tuesday fir the 2025 fiscal year.

His amendment includes the following:

• Increase funds to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) for states, cities, and nonprofits to provide humanitarian services to migrants by $300 million.
• Increase funds for non-intrusive fentanyl scanners by $50 million.
• Increase funds for Port of Entry modernization efforts by $50 million.
• Increase funding by $50 million for the availability of appointments for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection mobile application (CBP One) and improve language accessibility and usability for CBP One.
• Decrease funds by $600 million for wasteful and ineffective border wall construction.

“Rather than working in good faith with Democrats on a reasonable approach to the border, Republicans are once again pushing an extreme agenda with this latest funding bill,” said Rep. Grijalva.

According to a press release, House Democrats were able to provide $650 million for SSP to reimburse local governments in fiscal year 2024.

“My amendment to this bill provides concrete and real solutions to some of the issues border communities, like the ones I represent, face on a daily basis,” continued Rep. Grijalva. “It would help modernize our ports of entry, including the deployment of more fentanyl scanners. It would address the shortfalls of CBP One, which is currently limiting eligible migrants’ ability to apply for asylum. Lastly, since day one, local entities in my district have taken on the lion’s share of managing the humanitarian crisis. Republican’s continued assault on the critical SSP funds is a blatant disregard of federal responsibility and will deny communities much needed resources. I call on the Republican majority to fully address SSP program shortfalls through a supplemental bill and for the Rules Committee to allow a vote on my amendment into the final bill.”