Undocumented Immigrants May Qualify for Some Disaster Aid

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Parents and guardians of children who are citizens, noncitizen nationals or qualified aliens living in the federally-declared Arkansas disaster area, may apply for assistance on behalf of their child, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.  Multilingual operators are available.

Once registered, FEMA disaster recovery specialists answer questions about applications or collect information FEMA needs to process the application. Recovery specialists can supply contacts for other programs — those operated by volunteer organizations such as the American Red Cross — that may be able to help.

An applicant’s information is confidential. FEMA shares that information only with the state and designated agencies that provide disaster assistance.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

Residents of Crawford, Garland, Howard, Jefferson, Little River, Miller, Perry, Sebastian and Sevier counties affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of May 7 to June 15, 2015 may be eligible for disaster assistance and are encouraged to register for assistance with FEMA by the Aug. 25, 2015 deadline.

The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.