S.Amdt. 29

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Markey and known as the Destination Reception Assistance Act, adds a new section to the Immigration and Nationality Act. It establishes the Destination Reception Services Program under the direction of the New Arrival Services Board.

The main purpose of the program is to provide federal funding through competitive grants and federal block grants to local government entities and private nonprofit organizations. This funding is aimed at helping communities support "eligible arrivals," which are defined as individuals who have been granted parole, have been placed in removal proceedings, or have a pending application for asylum.

How It Works and What It Changes

The program is structured similarly to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It is explicitly not an alternatives to detention program, meaning participation in detention alternatives is not required to receive services, and surveillance practices are not a condition of receiving help.

• The New Arrival Services Board is established with 9 members appointed by the Director to identify communities with concentrations of eligible arrivals and recommend funding allocations.
• Local new arrival services boards are established in designated communities to determine which local government entities and nonprofit organizations are eligible for grants, allocate funding, and monitor compliance.
• Grant recipients use the funds to provide medium-term services and assistance to help new arrivals attain self-sufficiency.
• Eligible services funded by the program include housing transition, rental and utility assistance, medical and mental health care, child care, workforce development, job training, English language training, legal services, transportation support, and translation services.
• The amendment authorizes the appropriation of $3,000,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 2028 to carry out the program.