NC GOP lawmakers urge HHS, FEMA to use Greensboro facility to aid Helene recovery efforts
Top North Carolina lawmakers are urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to use a Greensboro undocumented migrant facility to support relief efforts in western North Carolina.
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-NC, and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, led Republican members of North Carolina's Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on "the urgent need to operationalize" the Greensboro Children's Center (GCC) for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
The lawmakers wrote in part, "As you may know, Health and Human Services currently operates GCC as an Influx Care Facility meant to house and support unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in the case of an emergency. However, in June 2024, HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) announced that GCC has "ramped down its operations to facility upkeep.
"Based on our understanding of this facility, we think that it could be incredibly useful in supporting the people of western North Carolina as the region recovers from Hurricane Helene," the lawmakers continued. "For example, GCC could be used to temporarily house those displaced by the storm or to serve as a staging area for aid workers stationed in the state."
The letter was also signed by Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC, and Reps. Chuck Edwards, David Rouzer, Dan Bishop, Virginia Foxx, Greg Murphy, and Patrick McHenry.
"Our delegation is grateful for the work that has been done by your agencies so far to assist the people of North Carolina. However, much more can and should be done to expediently aid those whose lives have been upended by this storm. We believe operationalizing GCC for the purposes of aid and recovery is an effective way to do so," the lawmakers added.