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However, the Department of Homeland Security's document specifically mentions that the money would come from the agency's budgets for travel, training, public engagement and work on the technologies of the agency. ;information. The ministry denies that the money came from disaster relief funds.
Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, said at MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show" that the administration takes money from the "response and recovery" and "works hard to find funds for additional detention camps ".
"I would dispute the assertion that this does not affect … the resolution of the problems caused by hurricanes," Merkley said.
"FEMA will reduce training, travel, public engagement sessions, support for IT security and infrastructure maintenance, and IT investments in legacy grant systems for the transition to the Modern Management Agenda." grants.
Merkley was one of the first lawmakers to publicize the crisis of family separation on the southern border of the United States as he tried to visit a detention center in June and was rejected. He continued to be a critical spokesperson for the Trump administration's immigration policy, which included the separation of families at the border when the administration decided to criminally detain people caught illegally across the border. border.
The document shows that the amount transferred from FEMA to ICE is a fragment of the agency's budget.
The transfer of FEMA to ICE represents less than 1% of FEMA's overall budget. The FEMA budget was originally $ 1.03 billion and the amount transferred was about $ 9.755 million.
The document confirms that the money would be spent for ICE detention centers.
"Without the transfers and reprogramming identified in this notification, ICE will not be able to meet its adult detention requirements in FY 2018," the document says.
Homeland Security press secretary Tyler Houlton has denied that DHS is delaying FEMA's disaster relief funding.
"Under no circumstances have disaster relief funds been transferred from @fema to the crackdown on immigration," Houlton said on Twitter. "This is an unfortunate attempt to push a fake agenda at a time when the administration is focusing on helping millions of people on the East Coast face a catastrophic disaster."
He added: "The money in question – transferred to ICE from FEMA's current operating expenses – could not have been used to respond to hurricanes because of budget restrictions." DHS / FEMA is financially and operationally ready. "
The transfer of funds from FEMA to ICE was part of a $ 201.88 million transfer of funds destined to ICE detention centers by the Department of Homeland Security.
Insufficient funding could force ICE to "release all new book-ins and illegal violators", and prevent the ICE from expelling those who violated immigration laws, the document says. FEMA and nine other agencies reporting to the Department of Homeland Security drew approximately 1% of their budget from ICE detention centers.
"The ICE could also be forced to reduce its current law enforcement operations indoors, which would reduce the arrests of foreigners and fugitives, which would pose a significant risk to public and national security," he said. the document.
Legislators were informed of the decision to pay in late July.
Arizona Democratic Representative Ruben Gallego told CNN at the conclusion of a meeting between DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and the Congress Hispanic Caucus on July 25.
"Overall, the meeting was long on excuses and misrepresentations and short of information and solutions … one thing we know, they take 1% of each EDS department and that for family and family separation ". I said.
Tal Kopan and Ashley Killough of CNN contributed to this report.
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