Latest news with #SanAntonioFoodBank
Boston Globe
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
FEMA launches review of migrant shelter aid, suggesting smuggling laws were violated
While it doesn't explicitly threaten criminal prosecution, it raises concerns that recipients may have violated U.S. Criminal Code Section 1324, a felony offense against bringing people across the border illegally or transporting them within the United States. It also says executive officers must sign sworn statements that they have no knowledge or suspicions of anyone in their organizations violating the smuggling law. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday. Advertisement The demand appears to be a new salvo against organizations that provide food, housing and travel aid to people who cross the border. Migrants often arrive exhausted, low on money and unsure how to navigate on their own through bus stations and airports. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who was at odds with the Biden administration over immigration and is closely aligned with the Trump White House, took a similar tack against migrant aid groups but was blocked in court. FEMA's Shelter and Services Program awarded $641 million to dozens of state and local governments and organizations across the country in the 2024 fiscal year to help them deal with large numbers of migrants who crossed the border from Mexico. They include the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Denver, as well as the United Way of Miami, the San Antonio Food Bank and several branches of Catholic Charities. It was unclear if any any governments received the letters, but the Trump administration has fiercely criticized states, counties and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Last month, it sued Chicago over laws that it said thwarted federal law enforcement. Advertisement
Axios
13-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
San Antonio Food Bank pushing for summer food benefits
The San Antonio Food Bank is joining its Texas counterparts in asking state lawmakers to approve a budget with federal benefits to ensure low-income students still have access to food over summer break. Why it matters: 1 in 6 Texas households is food insecure, and an estimated 3.75 million Texas students are eligible for a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that would give them money to buy food during the summer, according to Feeding Texas. The eligible students would typically get free lunches during the school year. The big picture: Texas was among 13 states that did not accept the federal money last year, the program's first year. A Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) spokesperson told the Texas Tribune last year that there wasn't enough time to set up the program. State officials already missed a Jan. 1 deadline but still have a chance to opt in by March 1 to take part this summer. Driving the news: Feeding Texas and the San Antonio Food Bank are lobbying state lawmakers to direct the HHSC to accept the federal money. Feeding Texas has posted a letter online that Texans can send to their state representative or senator. Zoom in: About 234,000 Bexar County children are eligible to receive the money, equaling more than $43 million in federal funds funneled back to the region. Threat level: The stress of securing summer meals adds to a "perfect storm" of expenses for families already struggling with childcare costs, heat-induced high utility bills and affordable housing, San Antonio Food Bank CEO Eric Cooper tells Axios. The program would ease strain on the food bank and help prevent supply rationing during the summer, its busiest season, Cooper says. How it works: Texas could receive $450 million in federal funding for the summer program, which would give $120 EBT cards to spend at grocery stores for every qualifying student. It would cost about $110 million to implement the program in Texas, of which the state would have to pay half. The benefits work like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. What they're saying: Cooper says it's painful to know a federal resource was available last year that could've helped but wasn't tapped into. "It's just a tragedy when there was a resource that could've been realized," he says. "There's nothing better than feeding a child and I hope that the Texas Legislature agrees."
