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Dallas Morning News Editorial Board Highlights Sen. Cruz’s Effort to Establish Process Allowing for Donations to Individuals in CBP Custody

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Dallas Morning News' editorial board recently highlighted U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) letter to United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan urging him to establish a process to permit charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) to make charitable donations to individuals in CBP custody:

"Upon seeing the living conditions of detained migrants at the Mexican border, many Americans wanted to see change and to help. Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz suggested a path to allow private citizens be part of the solution. He wrote to the Department of Homeland Security asking it to find a way to allow Americans to donate money to the government to help migrants in U.S. custody."

Several news outlets covered Sen. Cruz's letter to Acting DHS Secretary McAleenan. Select news coverage is below.

Dallas Morning News: Dear Congress: Let us donate to migrants
"Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz suggested a path to allow private citizens be part of the solution. He wrote to the Department of Homeland Security asking it to find a way to allow Americans to donate money to the government to help migrants in U.S. custody. [...] By creating a sanctioned channel between generous Americans and struggling migrants, the government could sidestep congressional budget battles. All funds, in this case, would be voluntarily given. We suspect someone in Congress might still object, but we believe compelling the federal government to create this charitable channel would do more good than many people might realize."

Daily Signal: Cruz Calls on DHS to Make It Easier for Americans to Donate to Migrants at Border
"Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is asking the Department of Homeland Security to accept donations from charities for migrants at the southern border. ‘I ... urge you to establish and publicize a process for accepting donations from charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and [nongovernmental organizations] to aid individuals in [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] custody,' the Republican senator wrote in a letter Monday to acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan. ‘Even with the additional supplemental emergency funding, I am confident that DHS and CBP can still use the generosity of the American people to help manage the humanitarian crisis on our border,' Cruz added, referring to the $4.6 billion aid package recently passed by Congress. Currently, there's no system in place to allow Border Patrol stations to accept private donations."

WFAA: (Video) Cruz Helps Americans Donate
"Senator Ted Cruz is trying to help Americans who want to help undocumented immigrants at all those overcrowded detention centers on the border. Right now, donations are not welcome. Cruz asked feds last week to create a process to accept donations meant for migrants."

Roll Call: DHS faces pressure to accept diapers, soap donations for detained migrants
"Sen. Ted Cruz is urging the Department of Homeland Security to establish procedures that would allow it and Customs and Border Protection to accept charitable donations of items such as diapers and soap for migrant children being held in border detention facilities. The Texas Republican wrote a letter to acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan this week, asking him to prioritize accepting donations from concerned Americans. President Donald Trump signed a $4.59 billion supplemental spending bill Monday to aid cash-strapped agencies struggling to house a surge of migrants arriving at the southern U.S. border. But earlier reports of migrant children being held in poor conditions and overcrowded shelters without access to diapers, soap and other supplies have mobilized individuals and organizations to provide them. ‘Many Americans, however, also want to provide more direct and tangible help - they want to donate basic items such as diapers and toothbrushes to children in CBP custody,' Cruz wrote. ‘This desire is laudable, and deeply rooted in our nation's history. Americans have long banded together to form charities and faith-based organizations to aid those in need.'"

National Review: Cruz Asks DHS to Create Process for Collecting Donations to Migrants in U.S. Custody
"Senator Ted Cruz on Monday sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security asking for the creation of a process that would allow DHS to accept donations meant for migrants in U.S. custody. Currently, no such process for collecting a distributing privately donated aid exists, which has caused generous citizens who have offered supplies to overcrowded migrant-detention facilities to be turned away. Cruz called on Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan to ‘establish and publicize a process for accepting donations from charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and NGOs to aid individuals in CBP custody.' DHS facilities are at ‘peak or beyond peak capacity,' Cruz said, because of the ‘crisis on our southern border.' Even with the $4.6 billion in emergency humanitarian aid approved by Congress to address the influx of migrants at the border, the Department can surely accept the ‘generosity of the American people' as well, he said."

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