CNN
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The White House is trying to identify federal spaces to offer to cities President Joe Biden is under increasing pressure to provide more aid to regions overwhelmed by migrant arrivals.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has sent thousands of migrants to Democratic-run cities across the country in an uncoordinated manner to protest the president’s immigration policies.fueling the frustration of Democratic mayors and governors thousands of miles from the southern border of the United States.
It brought an important political issue to the forefront and embittered the president’s allies heading into a heated election year.
However, behind the scenes, Biden administration officials have been studying federal spaces to help cities including Denver, Chicago and New York welcome arriving migrants, amid growing concerns about crowded shelters and tight budgets, according to a senior White House official.
Senior White House officials, including White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez, have had daily conversations with the cities.
“The conversations are identical. We are scouring the federal landscape to identify potential sites that could be used for housing,” the senior White House official said, citing some obstacles including, for example, limited federal ownership in Chicago.
Authorities are also talking with archdioceses to identify closed schools and churches.
“We try to be as creative as possible. The housing issue is the same everywhere,” added the senior White House official. “We were identifying military bases that could have capacity. But again, each city faces its own challenges.
In a statement, the city of Denver called the efforts “helpful.”
“While we have not yet moved forward with a site, it is still helpful to work directly with the administration to identify potential solutions to this crisis,” said Jordan Fuja, press secretary for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston , in an email.
The federal government has already identified two federal sites for use by New York, run by the city and housing migrants. But New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for more help this week.
“It’s also crucial – and I have to say this – that this is a national problem and all of these cities need help from the national government: a decompression strategy, funding, making sure that we allow people to work and pursue the American dream,” Adams told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday. “We still need the national government to resolve this national crisis. »
CNN has contacted Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office.
The administration has deployed Homeland Security agents to work with city officials and set up clinics to help eligible migrants apply for work permits — a typically long and arduous process.
The clinics have helped more than 10,000 people apply for work permits, according to the White House. Last year, the administration also announced the expansion of a form of humanitarian aid to Venezuelans already in the United States in order to make more people eligible for work permits and to appease calls from authorities to new York City.
“We share the frustration of mayors, governors and communities with extremist Republicans like Governor Abbott who are trying to use migrants as political pawns and are not interested in finding solutions,” Perez said in a statement.
White House officials have repeatedly called on Congress to approve their supplemental request that includes billions for border security, which would bring more resources to cities.
Biden stressed Tuesday that to address the border crisis, he needs more funds. “We have to do something. They should give me the money I need to protect the border,” he said when asked by a reporter what he would do about the U.S. southern border.
The White House’s supplemental national security request — which remains stalled in Congress due to border negotiations — includes an additional $1.4 billion for local jurisdictions.
The administration has already provided more than $1 billion in grants to jurisdictions that receive migrants.
