SAN ANTONIO — Catholic Charities San Antonio is prepared to further reduce personnel at the Migrant Resource Center after a bipartisan bill that included funding to address the border and immigration failed in the U.S. Senate.
“For Catholic Charities, it’s going to be a reduction of the people that we have, the employees, contractors, security to provide services to the people,” said Antonio Fernandez, president and CEO of Catholic Charities San Antonio.
The $118 billion packaged aimed to tackle border security and immigration policy in addition to providing aid for U.S. allies like Ukraine and Israel. The 49-50 vote (60 needed to take up the bill) follows criticism from Republican lawmakers regarding the legislation on border enforcement and wartime aid for U.S. allies.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was among those lawmakers apprehensive about the bill and voted no. Here are comments Cornyn made on the floor Tuesday:
“I’ve said from the beginning that I would only support an agreement or a proposal that would make significant policy changes and reduce the influx of humanity coming across the border, and this proposal does not meet that requirement.”
“This proposal doesn’t place significant limits on parole authority.”
“This bill also does not end what has come to be known euphemistically as catch-and-release, and it actually creates a new system under which migrants who might express an intent to apply for asylum must be released from custody even before an initial screening interview is completed.”
The bill would have given the federal government expulsion authority if at least 5,000 migrants reached the border in a week. Other provisions would have increased the number of Border Patrol personnel and sped up processing of asylum seekers.
The defeated legislation also included $1.4 billion in FEMA funding, shelter and program services, which would have assisted cities across the nation with continuing to take care of migrants.
Such federal funding has been vital for Catholic Charities, which since 2021, has helped 600,000 migrants who’ve come through San Antonio and received services before departing to their final destination.
Fernandez said starting Jan. 1 funding was reduced, which prompted the City of San Antonio to step up and provide financial relief to help maintain operations.
He noted there’s been a decline in new migrant arrivals, many of whom are coming from Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua.
“This year the decline has been a lot more intense and so I think last night we have only 250 people there,” Fernandez said.
Despite the current decline in arrivals, Fernandez fears the absence of funding will lead to men, women and children forced to end up on the streets.
“I’m concerned about people not having enough to eat, or a place to stay here in San Antonio. We see a lot of people who are coming but after 45 days of being at our site they are no longer able to stay there,” Fernandez said. “How do we ensure we can provide all them with all the services they need so they don’t end up on the streets.”
On Tuesday, the South Texas Alliance of Cities submitted a letter to House and Senate leaders urging Congress pass the bipartisan legislation.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg signed the letter alongside seven other mayors demanding action.
“The fact that we have a tremendous need for resources in order to deal with the influx caused by laws that are outdated by decades are being addressed by this bill and because of the Machiavellian politics of the day, it’s not even going to get a hearing,” Nirenberg said.
Nirenberg praised the legislation’s proposals to accelerate the granting of work authorizations for those who remain in the U.S. legally.
He stressed Catholic Charities continues to be a crucial partner in caring for the thousands of migrants who make their way through San Antonio.
“Catholic Charities helps us manage that influx that through current legal auspices helps us manage that influx in an orderly safe manner that maintains a level of dignity and passion that every person deserves. We do not need more hateful and xenophobic rhetoric. What we need is for Congress to do its job.”