Sanctuary cities and states could soon be charged a hefty fee for sending illegal immigrants to other jurisdictions. Many Democrat-run areas believe in providing benefits to migrants who cross the border illegally, but because of the vast numbers entering the US, officials have been unable to afford housing, food, medical services, transportation, and so on for their "guests." One solution has been to send the undocumented to non-sanctuary states – often without warning. But Republican lawmakers are fighting back, and a proposed bill could put an end to that.
Making Sanctuary Cities and States Pay
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) is expected to debut the legislation, Sanctuary City Oversight and Responsibility in Enforcement (SCORE) Act this week. Owens was inspired to create the measure after the city of Denver, CO, sent illegal migrants to Salt Lake City, UT, in June. Denver received almost $13 million in federal funds to help support immigrants, but since 2022, the liberal-led city has purchased nearly 1,700 tickets for undocumented individuals to go to Salt Lake City – which doesn’t receive such funding – without any forewarning at all.
“Right now we have migrants showing up at our airports, bus stations, and city halls with no support, services, or sponsors after being dumped by so-called sanctuary cities,” Owens told the Washington Examiner.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, another Republican, said in a statement on June 14 that sending migrants to other states was “completely unacceptable.” On X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “We recently learned that the Democrat mayor of Denver has been sending illegal immigrants to Utah without proper notification or approval. Every state has received illegal immigrants and Utah’s resources are completely depleted. All 50 states, including Utah, are now border states due to the failed immigration policies of President Biden and Congress.”
It is interesting to note that Salt Lake City, though run by Democrats, has not employed sanctuary policies like many blue cities.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already dispersed $700 million of taxpayers’ money to help areas respond to the migrant crisis. Under the proposed SCORE Act, sanctuary cities and states that send immigrants to non-sanctuary places will lose some or all of that funding. In Denver, for example, the FEMA Shelter and Services Program (SSP) provided grants to pay for migrants to travel to other places. The funds are intended to help the undocumented after Customs and Border Patrol has released them and while they wait for court proceedings, which often takes years.
In another example, New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) started sending the migrants from his city to Canada, which didn’t go over well with our neighbor to the north. A Canadian government official told Adams in February to stop immediately.
Settling the SCORE
“Self-declared sanctuary cities like Denver are abusing loopholes in the law and using federal taxpayer dollars to transport illegal immigrants to non-sanctuary cities,” Rep. Owens said when explaining why he was introducing the bill. "If this administration won't fight for American safety, security, and rule of law, our Republican majority will."
If approved, the SCORE Act would:
- Prohibit cities and states from receiving FEMA’s SSP financial grant if they transport illegal immigrants to other cities, counties, or states without letting officials know in advance.
- Make it mandatory to provide documentation on where each individual will live once transferred.
- Require that each undocumented individual has a sponsor, such as an organization or a family member, at the destination so they will not be staying in overcrowded shelters and using up limited resources.
- Require the Government Accountability Office to provide quarterly reports on the states and territories that have received FEMA grants.
While the Score Act’s passage through the lower chamber will likely net support from most Republicans, it may even see some Democrats cross the aisle, considering the climate of despair in blue cities over the recent mass influx of migrants. Election years often bring together the strangest of bedfellows, especially on an issue that may prove to be a motivating factor in the 2024 election.
