DHS Secretary: ICE to Run Out of Money Next Month Without Supplemental Funding

Pajamas Media ^ | 07/16/2014 | Bill Straub

[SeekAndFind]

WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson expressed confidence that the federal government can successfully deal with the surge of unaccompanied children crossing the southern border but it likely will cost billions of dollars to deal with the ongoing crisis.

In testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Johnson urged lawmakers to adopt the $3.7 billion plan proposed by President Obama, warning that revenues are running low in the Department of Homeland Security because of outlays already used to address the situation.

Without the supplemental funding, Johnson told lawmakers, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will run out of money sometime in mid-August, forcing the Department of Homeland Security to divert funds from other critical programs to maintain operations.

Meanwhile, Johnson said, the Department of Health and Human Services will find itself unable to secure sufficient shelter capacity, leading to more children being held at short-term border patrol processing stations for longer periods of time. Border Patrol agents will have to be reassigned to assist at facilities housing the children rather than carrying out their duties along the Rio Grande.

“In cooperation with the other agencies of our government that are dedicating resources to the effort, with the support of Congress, and in cooperation with the governments of Mexico and Central America, I believe we can stem this tide and address the broader issues,” Johnson said. “The requested supplemental funding is critical to enabling the Department to fulfill its mission and address the dramatic surge in unaccompanied children and families in a manner that maintains border security and reflects our laws and values.”

But it appears unlikely that the White House will succeed in its effort. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said Friday that the request is “too much money — we don’t need it.”

[yldstrk]

isn’t our entire federal government living on borrowed time?

[SoFloFreeper]

Fine.

Take money out of the Department of Education’s budget, or the EPA’s budget to pay for the failure of Team Obama to enforce the border.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Shut ICE down. They’re not doing anything productive.

So, what takes its place?

DoD?

[Dogbert41]

Here’s an idea: DHS should auction off all of its inventory of guns and ammo and armored vehicles to pay for it,

[NorthMountain]

How about we take all the money were were going to borrow and then give away to foreign countries, and use it to:

1) Fully fund border control and enforcement.

2) DEPORT illegal aliens.

2) BUILD A BLOODY WALL!!!

[Myrddin]

No problem. Their job is to protect the border. It's not getting done. Money wasted. Send them home. Deploy the U.S. military on the border and repel the invasion. ICE has become a welcome wagon operation.

[exit82]

Hey, Jeh, tell your buddy Obama you need the money.

It’s his job to figure out where to shift funds from other agencies, like the useless State Department. Besides Citibank will be paying a $ 7 billion fine to the government for their mortgage shenanigans.

Tell Jack Lew to transfer half the funds to you.

Otherwise, get lost.

[Myrddin]

Clif High at HalfPastHuman indicated that an interagency battle over access to funds was coming in mid-July. The consequence would be that many DoD vendors would find the government defaulting on payments due. I took the warning seriously and have been positioning my household for months to bear the consequences of losing my job. This looks to be the triggering event. I'll be packing up my limited stuff in the room I rent in San Diego in preparation for my exit home to Idaho. My co-workers have been leaving at a steady pace for months to work for non-DoD contractor employers.

[xander]

The department should have a surplus given they haven’t done a damned thing over the last umpteen years.

[unlearner]

This administration and the media want to portray the border crisis as caused by conservatives being unwilling to appropriate the necessary funds and trying to shut down the government.

The truth is that this administration actually attacked states for trying to enforce immigration laws that are currently on the books.

[steve86]

I saw something I never saw before - CBT/DHS agents lined-up, stopping all cars going into Canada, to ask questions about purpose of trip, destination, etc... I had always thought controls on citizens leaving the country were unconstitutional....

Did you tell them to F off and go bite their pissident's frankfurter? I would.

[steve86]

You’ve been through this before.

[aimhigh]

This article made me think about the cost of the 3,000 so-called assault rifles sent to Mexico. At a $1,000 apiece, that would be $3 million.

[upchuck]

Not one more penny. Live within your budget. Can't do that? Get a new job.

[Myrddin]

You’ve been through this before.

Yes. Last year. We spent 3 years of effort to win a proposal. The "win" resulted in an IDIQ style award where you have to bid each set of tasks and payments from the pool of money identified in the proposal. The catch is that the "pool" may be empty because of sequestration or failure to actually fund the pool. It's just an empty paper promise. We already had a problem with getting things funded before the southern border invasion got underway. Another round of sequestration is coming next year. Frankly, I'm getting tired of being jerked around by the uncertainty of funding. There is no lack work to be done, just uncertainty about whether there will be money to pay for it.