MADISON, WI (WSAU) – A 2023 4th quarter compliance report from the City of Madison uncovered by local representatives has found that the city has used nearly a million dollars of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) funds provided through ARPA (American Rescue Plan) to provide free amenities for illegal migrants living in the area.
According to the report which was uncovered by CIO (Center of Investigative Oversight) and 20th District state Senator Duey Stroebel, the city budgeted $700,000 to assist such as free food, gas, utility bills, and bus passes to illegal migrants despite language in ARPA’s bill stating that those in the U.S. illegally “are not eligible to receive direct assistance provided by Federal and State governments.”
Stroebel has requested that the city turn over documents about the funds including all grant applications by the city that were approved or denied, including the African Center for Community Development, Community Immigrant Law Center, RISE Wisconsin, and others, as well as a full breakdown of the $700,000 and where it was spent.
The CIO questioned the grants in their report stating, with the pandemic being over four years removed, how “Services to Residents who are Undocumented” meets the requirements and intent of the SLFRF and ARPA programs as language in the bill requires communities to use the funds to help with “their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency.”
Recent polling on the issue of illegal immigration nationally and among Wisconsin voters continues to be a closely watched issue as 47% of respondents to the latest Marquette Law poll said they strongly agreed with the statement that the Biden administration created the crisis at the border and the latest Wall Street Journal poll finding voters trust former President Trump to handle border security issues by 20 points or 53% to 33%.
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