Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle
Originally published by Chron
Undocumented immigrants will not be checked or stopped at shelters and relief centers during the course of Tropical Storm Harvey. Authorities urge anyone who needs assistance to reach out for help regardless of their immigration status.
A rumor is rampant that undocumented immigrants cannot get help from shelters if they need it and FEMA officials want to debunk that myth. Most shelters are managed voluntary groups like the Red Cross and will not ask people for identification as a requirement to stay in the shelters.
To get services like meeting with a Red Cross caseworker or to facilitate disaster recovery, the group will have to verify the person's pre-disaster address. In these situations, if people don't have government-issued ID, they can provide alternative proof like a copy of their utility bill.
In the rare case that local law enforcement notifies them of an undocumented immigrant that is causing a public safety threat, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will handle it on a case-by-case basis, the two organizations announced in a joint statement.
If you need help:
- Call 911 if you need for medical attention or evacuation assistance. If you can't get through to 911 on first try, keep calling.
- Another option is to place a call to one of five numbers for the Houston Command Center of the United States Coast Guard. The numbers are:
- 281-464-4851
- 281-464-4852
- 281-464-4853
- 281-464-4854
- 282-464-4855
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