Senator Sinema chairs first border management hearing
Senator seeks information on resources and ways to assist - News 11 s Crystal Jimenez reports
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) chaired the first Senate Border Management Subcommittee hearing Wednesday to help with issues in the Southwestern U.S.
During a virtual meeting, Sen. Sinema heard from a number of people intimately familiar with the situations border communities currently face.
Among them, Beth Strano- the Asylum Seekers and Families Coordinator with the International Rescue Committee in Arizona. The Committee helps oversee operations at several facilities designed to help and house asylum seekers across the state.
communications [at] rescue.org
Washington, DC, April 28, 2021 Chairwoman Sinema, Ranking Member Lankford and distinguished Senators:
I am grateful for the opportunity to share from the perspective of the International Rescue Committee, which has a unique vantage point as an NGO working across the full arc of crisis for thousands of asylum seekers from conflict and disaster regions to recovery and protection. In my role specifically, I oversee the operations of the Welcome Center in Arizona, which is a 24-hour shelter serving newly arrived asylum seekers and their children.
The Center provides emergency humanitarian assistance alongside local community partners and works closely with similar shelters in Tucson, Casa Alitas and The Inn, to provide a regional response across the state. Beyond Arizona, the Welcome Center is a member of the Border Asylum Shelter Coalition (BASC), composed of partners offering critical services to families from San Diego to Brownsville. This netwo