US judge grants deportation to Puerto Ricans threatened with deportation

KISSIMMEE, Fl. (Reuters) – A federal judge will hold a hearing on Monday to determine the fate of hundreds of Puerto Ricans who fled the island ravaged by hurricanes last year and who are staying in motels after giving them a reprieve during the weekend.

The latest benefits of a federal aid program for evacuees from the island by Hurricane Maria were to deplete Sunday morning, cutting back on aid. to housing for the group residing in the state motels.

Last Saturday, US District Judge of Massachusetts Leo Sorokin ordered the US government to extend assistance for hotel checks until at least July 4th. At the hearing, he may decide to extend the deadline.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that 1,722 families are currently receiving assistance as part of its housing program, of which 585 reside in central Florida motels.

FEMA said Sunday in a statement that she was aware of the judge's decision and that she was contacting sellers to comply with the court order.

U.S. Democratic Representative Darren Soto, whose Kissimmee District includes Puerto Ricans threatened with eviction, said that a displaced family may either stay in the hotel with the imminent fear of losing help. or take a free flight to the island.

"There are two or three tough decisions people make," Soto told reporters.

Hurricane Maria has dealt a terrible blow to an already troubled island that has been in recession for more than a decade, with a poverty rate close to 50%.

Maria destroyed or significantly damaged more than one-third of the estimated 1.2 million occupied dwellings on the island, according to government estimates.

The reconstruction of Puerto Rico's housing stock finally returns to the territorial government, which can not afford to pay for it after accumulating $ 120 billion in bond and pension debts in the years leading up to the storm. .