Biden demands $40 BILLION for illegal immigrant housing, Ukraine aid

President Joe Biden's administration is demanding a $40 billion package for various different government measures, including the housing of illegal immigrants, aid for Ukraine, and disaster relief.  

The ask coming from the White House would put over half of the funding into Ukraine's war effort, $3.9 billion to address the border and $12 billion for ongoing disaster relief.  

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the US has already committed $110 billion for humanitarian aid and poured in $43 billion for military defense.  

With regard to the border, Biden is asking Congress to approve a temporary housing program for migrant families who have crossed the border illegally. The proposal would give them more freedom than traditional detention at the border, according to Axios. 

The Department of Homeland Security wants the ability to set up new facilities for the migration crisis as families go through the asylum process.  

Migrant families would be free to come and go as they wish during the day, but would have to come back during the evening time. This could ease the burden on local shelters in southern border towns.  

At the same time as these new proposals come, the effects of Biden ending the detention of families crossing illegally in 2021 have been called into question. The influx of illegal immigrants into the United States has been a problem for him throughout his presidency.  

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said a few months ago that the Biden administration is doing all it can "within the constraints of a broken immigration system." 



In the report from Axios, the article cites Biden's reversal of policies on the border as evidence that the administration will have a difficult time balancing humanitarian needs and being able to enforce immigration policy.   

Aside from the funding for Ukraine and housing for migrants, $12 billion will be going to ongoing disaster relief amidst the recent wildfires which have burned down billions of dollars of homes and buildings on the island of Maui, Hawaii.