Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) voted in favor of legislation that provides emergency funding to address the humanitarian crisis at the border. The legislation, which passed the House, provides $4.5 billion to bring food, sanitary items, medical services, and other essentials to immigrants, and will help relieve overcrowding.

“The inhumane conditions that immigrant children and families are being forced to live in is appalling. Many immigrants are being detained in overcrowded centers without basic necessities like adequate food, clothing, hygiene products, or basic medical care,” said Rep. Kuster. “Some have escaped horrific and traumatic situations in their home countries. To force them to live in these conditions is unthinkable. Congress has a moral and an ethical responsibility to take action to protect the basic human rights of these vulnerable children and their families. Not one more migrant child should lose their life because of the lack of care and poor conditions created by this Administration’s actions.”

Border Supplemental Bill to Provide Humanitarian Assistance for Children & Families:

• Provides $4.5 billion in emergency spending to address the humanitarian crisis at the border – securing robust funding for priorities including legal assistance, food, water, sanitary items, blankets and medical services, support services for unaccompanied children, and refugee services, which will relieve the horrific situation of over-crowding and help prevent additional deaths.
• Protects families and does not fund the Administration’s failed mass detention policy – funding effective, humane alternatives to detention with a proven track record of success, placing strict limits on influx shelters, protecting sponsors from DHS immigration enforcement based on information collected by HHS during the vetting process and creating strong oversight by Congress including to protect unaccompanied children.
• Helps address the roots causes of the crisis – reversing the Administration’s senseless decision to block the U.S. assistance that Congress has already appropriated for the Northern Triangle countries, and ensuring funding is used responsibly to  improve border security, stop human smuggling and drug trafficking, combat corruption and reduce poverty and promote growth in Central America.

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