Musk Claims FEMA Spent $59 Million Housing Illegal Immigrants in NYC Hotels
“This stops now,” declared acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, announcing that all payments from FEMA had been suspended as of February 9.
According to Elon Musk, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) discovered that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spent $59 million last week to continue housing illegal immigrants in luxury hotels in New York City.
“A request to reclaim those funds will be submitted today.”
Hamilton further stated that U.S. Congress should never have mandated FEMA to undertake such tasks in legislation passed in 2023 and 2024.
“This stops now,” he reiterated.
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FEMA has faced criticism for almost a year regarding its disaster relief efforts in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, as well as allegations of political bias within its ranks.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on January 24, following his visit to the recovery zones in North Carolina. The order called for the establishment of a council to review FEMA.
“Additionally, FEMA has lost its mission focus, wasting limited staff and resources on activities beyond its mandate, spending over a billion dollars to accommodate illegal aliens.”
The president also hinted at the possibility of eliminating FEMA during the reform efforts while addressing reporters in North Carolina.
“Americans deserve a prompt, effective, and unbiased response to and recovery from disasters,” he remarked in his order.
“FEMA thus necessitates a comprehensive review by individuals who possess significant expertise in efficient disaster response and recovery, who will recommend improvements or structural modifications to serve the national interest and enhance national resilience.”
DOGE was created to scrutinize agency expenditures and uncover potential cost-saving measures to enhance government efficiency. Its inquiries into federal spending have led to pushback nationwide, resulting in lawsuits from multiple attorneys general and labor unions aiming to obstruct Musk and his team from accessing the Treasury and Labor departments.
However, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, expressed her support for DOGE’s audits regarding her agency and advocates for a thorough overhaul of emergency management.
“I would say, yes, we need to eliminate FEMA as it currently exists. We still require the resources and funding to assist those impacted by disasters,” she stated during a February 9 interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The revelation of FEMA’s ongoing funding for housing illegal immigrants has prompted reactions from several lawmakers.
FEMA did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for confirmation of the $59 million funding, clarification on the justification for the payments, and details on how the agency plans to recover that money.
Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.
