In response to the Trump Administration’s attempt to divert disaster recovery funds from Puerto Rico to pay for construction of a wall at the US-Mexico border, Linda Delgado, Oxfam America Director of Government Affairs, said:
“Attempting to redirect money from real emergency needs in Puerto Rico and around the country for a vanity project is simply unforgivable and shameful.
It is also heartless. The island of Puerto Rico urgently needs these emergency funds to rebuild. Ravaged by Hurricane Maria over a year ago, Puerto Rico continues to face a formidable path to recovery. Recovery dollars are still needed to stimulate a suffering economy and address critical needs such as housing and infrastructure. The island is struggling to regain its footing after one of the most deadly and destructive natural disasters in US history.
Raiding $5 billion in funds, including $2.5 billion allocated to Puerto Rico, to pay for an unnecessary wall is politics at its worst: a manufactured crisis based on blatant fear mongering by the President to try to force the hand of Congress and the American people.”
