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On March 22, 2021, readers inquired about a claim involving the housing of immigrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. One reader asked: Is it true that Biden is spending 86 million dollars for hotels for illegal immigrants? Another framed the question this way: Biden is spending $86 million on hotel rooms for migrants as his administration struggles to handle the surge of families and kids trying to come to the US? We reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to receive independent confirmation on the claims. They confirmed that the news was true and provided a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Tae D. Johnson: ICE also provided a more detailed description regarding the procedures for housed families: The news about the Biden administration's $86 million contract to house migrant families was first reported by Axios on March 20. The story said the contract covered a period of six months, and the hotels would be near border areas, including in Arizona and Texas. The article also mentioned rising numbers of individuals crossing the border into the United States. In Aug. 2020, The New York Times reported that migrant families were also housed in U.S. hotels during former President Donald Trump's administration: Before Trump, former President Barack Obama's administration also housed migrants in converted hotels. Endeavors, the nonprofit organization handling the management of the $86 million contract under Biden, is based in San Antonio, Texas. The website for Endeavors described the services offered to migrants in need: In sum, it was true that the Biden administration spent $86 million on hotels and other services that would be used for migrant families. The money was expected to fund services for six months.
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