SAN ANTONIO — On Thursday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg traveled down to Brownsville to meet with President Joe Biden. One topic of conversation was the resources needed for San Antonio to continue caring for migrants.
"We do have funding for San Antonio to continue that operation, but it will run out," Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.
Nirenberg said his meeting with President Biden was one of urgency. While visiting the border, Biden received a briefing by frontline personnel and elected leaders. The president called on congressional republicans to pass a bipartisan immigration border security bill.
"The president has reached across the aisle, and acted in good faith to work out a bipartisan border bill that is supported by a group of senators who are also working in good faith, that right now is being held hostage by an extreme group of MAGA Republicans, including the speaker of the house," said Nirenberg.
Federal funding to deal with migrant care is at a standstill right now, because congress has yet to pass a budget for 2024.
Mayor Nirenberg said he's asked city council to meet this Thursday to discuss concerns of federal dollars running out.
"Unless there's action on a border bill that will help address the issues of migration, we're going to have to look at how we solve that issue going forward," Nirenberg said.
Nirenberg said the bipartisan bill also includes other resources necessary to secure the border.
"It also includes the resources necessary for border patrol. It has the technology necessary to slow, the tide of fentanyl that's getting into this country. It has, asylum judges to speed up the asylum process. It even debates the the policies that, you know, have been talked about for, for decades. So this is a sweeping bill that is the biggest step forward in immigration reform that we've seen in three decades, and it needs to be brought to the floor for a good, honest debate," Nirenberg said.
Nirenberg said the federal funding will also allow the city to continue protecting public safety, maintain order, and treat migrants with basic dignity and the humanity they deserve.
Since January 2021, Nirenberg said 600,000 migrants have come to San Antonio.