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CONTINUED ITEM (12/2/25)
UNFINISHED BUSINESS (11/4/25)
Fiscal Year (FY)26 Emergency Funding for Refugee Resettlement Agencies Serving Pima County
Discussion/Direction/Action: Directing the County Administration to send Emergency Funding in the amount of $250,000.00 each, to the three Refugee Resettlement Agencies serving Pima County: IRC of Arizona, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, and Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona ($750,000.00 in total funding, FY26), for the purposes of supporting refugees, asylees and others they serve to complete the process of applying for Legal Permanent Resident (“Green Card”) status and related services. The funding shall come from the approximately $8.38M in extra, unencumbered and unrestricted Beginning General Fund Balance with which the County began FY 2025/26, per the most recent Financial Update provided to the Board. (Projected Beginning General Fund Balance of $126,746,493.00 as of July 1, 2025, rather than the budgeted amount which was $118,366,104.00.)
As was made clear at the October 21st Board of Supervisors meeting, because of Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill,” refugees, asylees and others who have not yet adjusted their status to Legal Permanent Resident - though legally here and legally authorized to work, and though they are paying taxes! - have now lost access to basic social safety net supports like SNAP (as of 11/1/25), AHCCCS (as of 10/1/26) and Medicare (as of 1/1/27) as well. The more legally present refugees, asylees, and others whom we can help to adjust their status to Legal Permanent Resident (all taxpaying members of our community already!), the more members of our community who will continue to benefit from the basic social safety net programs that we all contribute to, and we all rely on. (District 2)