Costa Votes to Protect Dignity of Asylum Seekers

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Jim Costa voted to pass H.R. 3401, a $4.5 billion emergency border supplemental appropriations bill to address the urgent humanitarian situation at our Southern border. 

“The humanitarian crisis at our border cannot be ignored,” said Congressman Costa. “I am supporting this bill to protect the rights and dignity of migrants and provide funding for basic needs — food, blankets and clean drinking water — that they should already be receiving. We should never separate children from their refugee families seeking asylum.”

The bill provides significant funding to meet the needs of vulnerable children and refugee services by providing: 

• $4.5 billion in emergency spending to address the humanitarian situation at the border:  Strengthening health standards for children and families in CBP custody and securing funding for legal assistance, food, water, sanitary items, blankets and medical services,  and support services for unaccompanied children and refugees, which will relieve the horrific situation of over-crowding and help prevent additional deaths.
• Protection for families: 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 requiring DHS to submit its plans to Congress to ensure strong congressional oversight, including to protect unaccompanied children.
• Help to address the root causes of the crisis:  Reversing the 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.