# Why are the Feds not paying for the refugees? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 5, 2024, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646 "2024-01-05T14:33:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/21 "2024-01-05T15:43:31Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I personally consider that distinction bullshit and not beneficial. And if the asylum process takes as long as it does, I believe asylum seekers should be allowed to support themselves while waiting. I don’t disagree with this. Unfortunately, reform to the asylum process would require an act of congress. Such a thing seems basically impossible - the GOP leadership in the House is lucky to be able to keep the government open. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > The “Feds” in this case mostly being Republicans. An analogy would be complaining that the car won’t start while you pouring water into the gas tank. Yes, as I indicated in the sentence following the one you quoted. Democrats would love to reform the system but the GOP will only go along if it includes draconian modifications to “punish” immigrants. And they are perfectly fine with the system being broken because it plays well for them politically - especially when they can flaunt their inhumanity by shipping human beings across the country to “make them someone else’s problem”. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/22 "2024-01-05T15:45:29Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The “Feds” in this case mostly being Republicans. An analogy would be complaining that the car won’t start while you pouring water into the gas tank. I agre “build the wall” is ridiculous, but what do you understand to be the meaningful responses proposed by the Dems? (I suppose they might be evident in some Senate proposals/actions.). I think the Dems desire for union support limits their supporting any right to work for immigrants/asylum seekers. I think the current system is so unworkable, such that the mere mention of the words, “seeking asylum” by someone with one toe on US soil conveys some special status on the individual. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/23 "2024-01-05T15:47:45Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I’m just trying to figure out why the Feds get a pass when they take refugees, put them on busses and dump them in a city and tell the Mayor , “You deal with them” They do? The feds take immigrants, load them onto busses and drop them off in the middle of Dallas / San Antonio / Houston / etc? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/24 "2024-01-05T15:57:09Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I agre “build the wall” is ridiculous, but what do you understand to be the meaningful responses proposed by the Dems? You can read about the bipartisan Senate bill here: [https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/politics/senate-immigration-negotiations-congress/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/politics/senate-immigration-negotiations-congress/index.html) Money quote from a GOP House member: > [@](#): > > “Let me tell you, I’m not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden’s approval rating,” Rep. Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, told CNN. “I will not help the Democrats try to improve this man’s dismal approval ratings. I’m not going to do it. Why would I?" ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/25 "2024-01-05T15:57:11Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Now the Red States refusing to take refugees is looking less like racism and more like financial self-defense. God help me, but I actually understand part of the political calculus that the red states are using. That’s part of the point by the red state governors (esp. Greg Abbott)- the blue states are very opinionated about how the border should be handled, how refugees should be handled, etc… but at a remove of several hundreds or thousands of miles. By shipping refugees to them and dropping them on these states and cities unannounced and unsupported, they’re essentially giving those states a bit of how it is to have a bunch of uninvited, unannounced, and basically destitute people show up and be a burden on your law enforcement, social services, and everything else that’s impacted when a whole lot of non-citizens show up from elsewhere with absolutely nothing but hope, and they’re expected to take care of them. Of course, the thing is that these are people, not pawns for some political theater shenanigans, and treating them like this for the sake of making a point to other states and the Federal government is cruel and inhumane. But I suppose that’s a benefit to the red state governors, because that’s a bonus for their base as well. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/26 "2024-01-05T15:59:41Z")
The Feds aren’t going to pay for anything a month from now unless the House passes another continuing resolution, or an entire budget. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/27 "2024-01-05T16:04:12Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > based on historical usage. I think this is the key part of all of this. Let’s say Arizona usually has X number of immigrants show up, and they’re paid by the Feds to deal with them. But if X+20000 show up, that extra 20k is kind of undefined. I can see why Arizona doesn’t want to deal with that without being paid for it, and shipping them to Portland might be cheaper, as well as removing them from being Arizona’s problem. It’s inhumane, but what else is Arizona supposed to do? Cough up state money to deal with something that’s rightly the Federal government’s problem to deal with? I think that’s the thing that’s unclear here- is it X, or is it X+20000? I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/28 "2024-01-05T16:05:59Z")
Yeah, but without things like the $3 billion Texas receives from those cities via federal grants. If Texas doesn’t want to actually do anything with immigrants, maybe we stop giving them money for it? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/29 "2024-01-05T16:14:01Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I believe so many folk are being shipped to cities such as NYC and Chicago because of their self identification as sanctuary cities. I’m sure this is the reason other states give - but all that "sanctuary " means is that a city or state doesn’t report the undocumented to immigration when they report a crime or enroll kids in school or go to a public hospital. It doesn’t mean that the city or state wants people to come there or that they can’t move them out. Just that they would rather have the undocumented go to the city hospital than having them walk around untreated and spreading disease or go to the police when they are crime victims. And NYC is the only city in the country that has an obligation to provide immediate shelter to anyone who asks, so that when the buses drop people off in Jersey City , JC most likely does not have an obligation to provide shelter. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/30 "2024-01-05T16:14:52Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > City Manager: Not my problem. Let the Feds deal with them and get them housing, food and water _on Federal land_ - not in my city. First, some states have laws that require any asylum seekers to be cared for so they couldn’t legally do what you want. Second, rounding people up and sending them to places without the ability to care for them, without resources, and against their will is horrific. Remember, these are people, not political toys. You’re proposing that these cities/states do exactly what the Republican governors are doing, and that’s just further punishing people who are already traumatized. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/31 "2024-01-05T16:17:26Z")
See my second post- I suspect there may be an element of “business NOT as usual” going on, combined with Abbott and his cronies just being assholes. I don’t think Texas wants a thing to do with immigrants, but they’re effectively forced to by the Feds, due to lack of Federal resources or attention, and the presence of the immigrants. That’s a big part of the point from the GOP’s perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/32 "2024-01-05T16:21:35Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > _What_ Federal land are you talking about? > > National Parks, apparently. Well known for their extensive housing facilities for the care of migrants. Might as well send them to the [Zone of Death](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_Death_(Yellowstone)). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/33 "2024-01-05T16:23:37Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > First, some states have laws that require any asylum seekers to be cared for so they couldn’t legally do what you want. Could a state legally change that? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/34 "2024-01-05T16:24:50Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > The Biden administration can’t just spend money as if sees fit, if Congress hasn’t allocated the money. We’ve spoken around here about the GOP as the party of “But what if we didn’t?”, where they just refuse to do their jobs. How about the Democrats become the party of, “But what if we _did?_” That is, do their jobs, even if Congress hasn’t approved it. “Oh, you say we can’t spend money on that? Well, we just did.” Seriously, if FEMA writes a check, who is going to refuse to cash it? Is Congress going to get its act together enough to punish a bank for taking a government check at face value? _But what if we did?_ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/35 "2024-01-05T16:34:10Z")
Then, faster than you can say “I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, upon the slitted sheet I sit”, FEMA’s budget gets slashed from about $20 billion to a $10 McDonald’s gift card and a handful of used Forever Stamps. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/36 "2024-01-05T16:34:19Z")
Just have to add, I’m not entirely sympathetic to the “these are people” argument. Yes, these are people, but they are people who voluntarily placed themselves in the situation that they find themselves in. Not defending current governmental policies, and I personally would welcome just about any reasonably healthy immigrant who is willing to work. But there is at least SOME aspect of an individual intentionally placing themself in an untenable situation, and then expecting/demanding assitance because they are in an untenable situation. As with so many aspects of this (and so many other social issues), it is far rom black and white, and the actors are not clearly good and evil. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/37 "2024-01-05T16:35:02Z")
Is it too late in the thread to ask for a cite as to what the OP is talking about? It’s not clear if we’re talking about refugees, asylees, or just job-seeking migrants, or where they’re being sent, or what authority is processing them. It’s not clear whether we’re talking about a distinct event, or it’s just another day of someone getting ginned up about the “immigrant invasion”. Additionally, a cite for: > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > New York is begging to not take anymore refugees. > Chicago as well. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/38 "2024-01-05T16:37:57Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Just have to add, I’m not entirely sympathetic to the “these are people” argument. Yes, these are people, but they are people who voluntarily placed themselves in the situation that they find themselves in. Yeah, they should have just given those drug lords and violent gangs a piece of their minds, let them know they weren’t putting up with their threats of rape and murder any more. Put their foot down! ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/39 "2024-01-05T16:38:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > FEMA’s budget gets slashed Slashed by who? Do you really think that the current Congress could actually pass something like that? And in the absence of “proper” government funding, again, would people _actually start refusing to take government checks?_ “The people who create money tell me this thing is worth money. Well, okay.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646/40 "2024-01-05T16:38:07Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > But there is at least SOME aspect of an individual intentionally placing themself in an untenable situation, What about the much more untenable situation that they are trying to escape from, the one they had no say in whatsoever? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-feds-not-paying-for-the-refugees/995646.md?page=3)