WASHINGTON (AP) — The appearing head of the federal agency responsible for responding to disasters mentioned Monday that he’s suspending funds despatched to New York Metropolis to deal with migrants and that workers who made them will likely be held accountable, after Elon Musk blasted the transactions on his social media platform.
Musk, who as head of the Department of Government Efficiency has consolidated management over a lot of the federal authorities and is working to chop prices and shrink the workforce, posted on X that his group “simply found that FEMA despatched $59M LAST WEEK to luxurious lodges in New York Metropolis to deal with unlawful migrants.” He mentioned the cash is meant for catastrophe reduction and can be clawed again.
Cameron Hamilton, appearing administrator of the Federal Emergency Administration Company, reposted Musk’s feedback and mentioned the funds had been suspended as of Sunday.
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Musk gave no proof to assist his declare, and knowledge from town of New York indicated that cash it is obtained to look after migrants was appropriated by Congress and allotted to town final yr by FEMA.
The town hasn’t been notified of any pause in funding, spokeswoman Liz Garcia mentioned. An announcement famous that town has obtained federal authorities reimbursements by means of the previous week and mentioned the matter can be mentioned straight with federal officers.
Neither Hamilton nor Musk specified what sort of funds had been concerned. However the feedback on X — reposted hundreds of occasions — seemingly referred to funds made by the Shelter and Companies Program, which supplies cash to reimburse cities, cities or organizations for immigration-related bills.
FEMA didn’t reply to questions concerning the funds. However spokesman Trisha McLaughlin for the Division of Homeland Safety — to which FEMA belongs — pointed to current statements by Secretary Kristi Noem.
“As Secretary Noem mentioned yesterday, we should eliminate FEMA the way in which it exists immediately,” McLaughlin advised The Related Press on Monday. “That is yet one more egregious instance. People who circumvented management and unilaterally made this cost will likely be fired and held accountable.”
What’s the Shelter and Companies Program?
When migrants arrive on the border, they’re usually launched into the U.S. as a result of the federal authorities does not have sufficient area to carry all of them. Feeding and housing them usually falls on native and state governments, in addition to nonprofits.
In 2019, with the variety of folks coming on to the southern border climbing dramatically, Congress approved the federal authorities to reimburse a few of these prices. These had been the primary such funds and the start of the Shelter and Companies Program.
The cash comes straight from Congress and is particularly for Customs and Border Safety — additionally a part of the Division of Homeland Safety. FEMA administers the funds.
The cash is separate from the catastrophe reduction fund, which is FEMA’s essential funding stream to assist folks and governments affected by disasters.
The Shelter and Companies Program has turn out to be a flashpoint for criticism by Republicans, who incorrectly declare it is taking cash from folks hit by hurricanes or floods.
Critics even have questioned whether or not taxpayer cash ought to go to cities and states the place right-to-shelter legal guidelines imply everybody should be given a spot to remain.
Not less than two different localities that obtained cash by means of the Shelter and Companies Program mentioned they’d not heard from the federal authorities about whether or not they would take again the cash.
What did Elon Musk say about this system?
Musk referred to as the $59 million his group has recognized “gross insubordination to the President’s govt order” and mentioned the funds can be recouped.
It was not clear the place the $59 million determine got here from, and officers didn’t present particulars to AP.
The New York Metropolis mayor’s workplace mentioned it obtained $81 million in funds from the federal authorities for immigration-related prices final week in two separate items — one in every of which was about $59 million, with $19 million for direct resort prices.
New York Metropolis’s right-to-shelter legal guidelines require town to offer shelter to anybody who’s homeless. It has traditionally housed homeless folks in lodges.
Metropolis sources have been strained with an inflow of roughly 230,000 migrants for the reason that spring of 2022. Along with housing migrants briefly in lodges, it additionally makes use of tent complexes.
The town says it presently shelters 46,000 migrants, most of whom are a part of households.
In one other publish Monday, Musk mentioned that underneath the Biden administration, FEMA took cash away from catastrophe reduction and “spent it on 5 star lodges for illegals.”
Garcia mentioned town has by no means paid luxurious charges. The overwhelming majority are outdoors Manhattan, and the federal government has paid on common $152 an evening for rooms, in response to a 2024 metropolis comptroller report. As compared, 5-star lodges in Manhattan for the approaching weekend run from $400 an evening to properly over $1,000.
The funds of $81 million, Garcia mentioned, lined reimbursements for November 2023 to October 2024, together with resort, safety, meals, and different prices. She mentioned town utilized in April, the cash was appropriated final yr by Congress, and FEMA allotted it final yr.
The town has hundreds of thousands extra in excellent reimbursements, she mentioned..
Is the Trump administration eliminating FEMA?
The confusion over the funds comes amid intense curiosity in FEMA’s future.
In a North Carolina journey final month, President Trump mentioned he was contemplating “getting rid of ” FEMA. He is additionally making a task force to hold out a “full-scale assessment” on the group.
Republicans final fall lambasted FEMA, saying it wasn’t doing sufficient to assist survivors hit by double hurricanes Helene and Milton. The company was additionally beset by false claims concerning the storms and withheld assist — often fueled by Trump and others simply forward of the presidential election.
Criticism of FEMA intensified after the company introduced {that a} staffer was fired after she directed employees to not go to houses with yard indicators supporting Trump.
Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL and unsuccessful Republican congressional candidate from Virginia, beforehand labored on emergency administration points for the departments of Homeland Safety and State however has restricted expertise dealing with pure disasters.
He’s been essential of FEMA on social media and outspoken about growing safety alongside the southern border, the place the company’s sources may very well be redirected.
Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second time period ready by the president’s allies, referred to as for dismantling Homeland Safety and relocating FEMA to the Division of Inside or the Division of Transportation.
It additionally recommended altering the method that the company makes use of to find out when federal catastrophe help is warranted, shifting the prices of stopping and responding to disasters to states.
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Attanasio reported from New York.
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