SE North Carolina News

Senator Ted Budd has joined other North Carolina lawmakers in a call to operationalize the Greensboro Influx Care Facility (ICF) to aid recovery efforts in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. The letter, directed to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, was led by Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Richard Hudson. It was also signed by Representatives Virginia Foxx, Chuck Edwards, David Rouzer, Dan Bishop, Greg Murphy, and Patrick McHenry.

The letter states: “As you may know, Health and Human Services (HHS) currently operates GCC as an Influx Care Facility (ICF) meant to house and support unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in the case of an emergency. However, in June 2024, HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) announced that GCC has ‘ramped down its operations to facility upkeep.’”

The legislators believe that the facility could play a crucial role in assisting those affected by the hurricane. They suggest it could be used to temporarily house displaced individuals or serve as a staging area for aid workers.

“Our delegation is grateful for the work that has been done by your agencies so far to assist the people of North Carolina," they noted. "However, much more can and should be done to expediently aid those whose lives have been upended by this storm. We believe operationalizing GCC for the purposes of aid and recovery is an effective way to do so.”