Despite warnings from FEMA that offering aid to migrants might violate smuggling laws, shelters along the U.S.-Mexico border continue to receive individuals released by ICE, creating confusion and concern among nonprofits.
Nonprofit shelters operating near the U.S.-Mexico border say they are continuing to house migrants released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), even after being warned by another federal agency that doing so could potentially be considered a criminal offense.
A letter sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in March raised alarm bells for organizations offering humanitarian support, including food, temporary shelter, and transportation. The letter warned of “significant concerns” that such assistance could fall under legal definitions used to prosecute human smugglers, prompting fears among shelter workers that their aid work could expose them to felony charges.
“It was pretty scary. I’m not going to lie,” said Rebecca Solloa, executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Laredo. Despite the warning, ICE continued to direct migrants to the Laredo shelter until it was forced to close on April 25 due to financial strain.
Other shelters remain active. The Holding Institute Community in Laredo reports receiving around 20 families weekly from ICE’s family detention facilities in Dilley and Karnes City, Texas. Many of these individuals are arriving from countries far beyond Latin America, including Russia, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Papua New Guinea, and China, according to Executive Director Michael Smith.
In El Paso, the Annunciation House is hosting five to ten migrants daily, many from Honduras and Venezuela, said Executive Director Ruben Garcia.
Meanwhile, in Phoenix, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) continues to accept migrants released by ICE, despite not receiving FEMA’s letter. A person with direct knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity, said the released individuals included some from ICE’s Krome Detention Center in Miami, known for overcrowding.
Both FEMA and ICE fall under the Department of Homeland Security, but their conflicting messages have left NGOs unsure how to proceed without risking legal consequences or abandoning their humanitarian mission.
The agencies have yet to clarify how shelters should navigate the conflicting directives, leaving frontline workers facing a difficult choice between compliance and compassion.
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Anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland has increased since early 2025, with many Ukrainians reporting growing hostility in public spaces, workplaces and schools, according to a report published on Tuesday by Polish NGO Instytut Krytyki Politycznej.
Workers stayed home, buses remained idle and many businesses closed across South Africa on Tuesday (30 June) as the country braced for planned anti-immigrant marches, with fears they could turn violent.
Spain's largest migrant regularisation programme entered its final hours on Monday, as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) rushed to help undocumented migrants submit residency applications before the scheme closes on Tuesday.
Spain has received around 900,000 applications from undocumented migrants seeking legal status under a government regularisation programme. The influx has far exceeded initial expectations, the Migration Ministry said on Monday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.
Kylian Mbappé has become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on more than one occasion. The French forward won the award presented to the top goalscorer of the tournament for the second time, despite France being knocked out in the semi-finals.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
President Donald Trump said the United States will target Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site “pretty soon” as he meets with Lebanese president Michel Aoun. Meanwhile, U.S. forces carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran while Tehran continues to target Gulf countries.
Lebanese army troops have begun deploying in the southern town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, marking the first major step in a U.S.-brokered plan to reduce tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have discussed regional developments, transport connectivity, energy cooperation and the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process during talks in Berlin.
Georgian officials have returned from Rotterdam with new ideas for multimodal logistics, but after years of delays, the Anaklia Deepwater Port still faces significant challenges before it becomes a reality.
A family of six, including four children, has been killed after an Israeli airstrike hit their home in Gaza City, underscoring the continuing violence despite a ceasefire that has formally remained in place for more than nine months.
Türkiye has taken a new technical step to facilitate direct trade with Armenia as part of the ongoing normalisation process between the two countries.
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