FEMA Responds to Claims It Diverted Disaster Relief Funds to Deal With Border Issues
The Federal Emergency Management Agency claimed reports that funding for disaster response efforts have been diverted to border issues are “false.”
“No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts,” FEMA said in a statement.
The pushback comes after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said FEMA “does not have the funds” to make it through the rest of hurricane season.
Critics pointed out that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) allocated $640.9 million this year in FEMA-administered funds to aid state and local governments coping with the influx of asylum seekers — though Mayorkas’ office fired back late Thursday, insisting that those funds couldn’t be used for hurricane relief because Congress authorized them specifically for the migrant crisis. [...]
Over two years, more than $1.4 billion has been committed from FEMA-administered programs to support non-federal entities that are taking care of migrants.
DHS allocated $780 million for the migrant crisis last year initially through the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which funds relief not associated with natural disasters, and then through the new FEMA Shelter and Services Program, which was authorized in late 2022 by Congress to respond to the migrant crisis.
The $640.9 million spent this year comes solely from the Shelter and Services Program. (New York Post)
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