SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — There is a debate about how to spend federal funds from FEMA, awarded to San Diego County, which was meant to provide humanitarian services to migrants once they were released from custody.
According to organizations that help asylum seekers, 23,000 people have been released on San Diego streets in the last month alone.
The San Diego region received more than 39 million dollars in funding, with about $19.5 million going directly to the County and the other half to Catholic Charities. The combined total is four million dollars more than the region received last year.
"Which is really a lifeline from the federal government, now importantly the county of San Diego is a new recipient," Kate Clark, the Senior Director of Immigration Services at Jewish Family Service of San Diego, said.
The organizations who work with the migrants directly, like Jewish Family Service, say they have ideas on how that money can be distributed. The County has until Friday at noon to present its plan to spend the funds to FEMA, but the organizations say they’ve heard nothing about a plan and they want a seat at the table.
"Our concern is that really the plan that is submitted is not going to be reflective of the work that’s being done on the ground," Clark said.
The county tells ABC 10News they are working on the plan and must first get permission from FEMA to get the money upfront.
They say, they’ll finish the application process with FEMA on Friday and will then set up a time to meet with interested contractors, take their input, and present it to the board of supervisors in mid-May.
It is ultimately up to the board to decide how to distribute the funds.
