Ore. Governor Calls Lack Of FEMA Assistance To Undocumented Immigrants 'Unacceptable'

"These families are so much a part of our communities," Brown says

When it comes to wildfires, which strongly effect Oregon — which last year lost a million acres, more than four thousand homes and nine lives — to such blazes, a strong federal response is crucial, according to Gov Kate Brown (D).

This involves the National Guard, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

However, a big problem with any FEMA response is that, that relief agency can't provide assistance to undocumented immigrants who might really need it, Brown said.

FEMA aid workers like these are prevented from providing assistance to undocumented immigrants

“Senator [Ron] Wyden’s done a good job fighting for the state of Oregon to get us financial resources to be able to train our National Guardsmen and women ahead of time so they can support our firefighting efforts,” Brown said. “But it also means that agencies like FEMA who do not aid our undocumented families, we need to make sure that that happens.

“So, for example, of the families that lost homes in southern Oregon last Labor Day fire, several hundred of them were undocumented. FEMA does not provide aid or assistance to these families. It is absolutely unacceptable,” she added. “These families are so much a part of our communities. They’re the heart and soul of our culture and they are the backbone of our economy. They deserve the assistance and they need it.”