TUCSON, AZ — Pima County is taking legal action against the federal government, claiming it is owed more than $12 million for costs associated with migrant care. The county has filed a lawsuit in partnership with the cities of Chicago and Denver, arguing that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has no legal basis to withhold the funds.
The dispute centers on FEMA shelter grants that Congress had already approved to reimburse local governments for providing short-term care for migrants. Pima County says that over a span of about five years, it used over $52 million in federal grants to temporarily shelter nearly 500,000 migrants. The migrants typically stayed for a few days while arranging to travel elsewhere to pursue asylum claims.
According to the lawsuit, FEMA indicated in February that it may not reimburse expenses submitted during the final months of the Biden administration. For Pima County, that amounts to $5.7 million in pending reimbursements, plus an additional $3.7 million the county has yet to request.
County officials note that federal authorities, including Border Patrol, routinely brought migrants directly to local shelters after they were processed and authorized to enter the U.S. to seek asylum.
The lawsuit argues that because Congress approved the funding, executive agencies like FEMA cannot legally refuse to distribute it.
Chicago and Denver are also pursuing legal claims to recover similar migrant care expenses.
