FEMA responds to allegations that money was spent on migrants

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has responded to “false” claims that money spent on illegal migrants should be spent on disaster relief funds after Hurricane Helene.

This week, Republicans including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Donald Trump Jr. expressed objections to the $640 million in FEMA funding allocated to assist migrants after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said FEMA “covers immediate needs with the money we have available.” ,” adding that the agency did not have enough resources to weather another hurricane this season.

“This is easy,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbot posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Mayorkas and FEMA – immediately stop spending money on relocating illegal immigrants and redirect those funds to hurricane-affected areas. Put Americans first.”

Donald Trump Jr., son of Republican candidate Donald Trump, wrote: “So FEMA is almost out of money to help with federal emergencies (you know the FE in FEMA) because they have spent almost 1,000,000,000 over the last two years US dollars to support illegal immigrants.”

The government agency has set up a page to address rumors circulating about its response to Hurricane Helene, which hit numerous East Coast states in late September, killing at least 120 people.

Addressing claims that FEMA does not have enough money to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the page states: “FEMA currently has enough money for immediate response and recovery needs. If you were affected by Helene, do not hesitate to apply for disaster relief support, as a variety of assistance is available to meet different needs.

Congress recently approved $20 billion for the agency's disaster relief fund as part of a short-term government spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 20.

In response to the rumor that FEMA disaster relief funds had been “diverted to support international efforts or border-related issues,” the government agency said on its dedicated fact-checking page: “This is false. No funds will be diverted to meet disaster relief needs.” FEMA's disaster relief efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster relief operations that has not been diverted to other non-disaster-related activities.

Some users of

“Maybe, just maybe, the Biden-Harris administration should stop redirecting FEMA funds — intended to help AMERICANS recover from a disaster — to facilitate the mass release of illegal migrants into the country,” Crenshaw posted on X.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said this Newsweek: “These claims are completely false. As Secretary Mayorkas said, FEMA has the resources necessary to meet the immediate needs related to Hurricane Helene and other disasters.”

“The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is an entirely separate, dedicated grant program authorized and funded by Congress and is in no way affiliated with FEMA’s disaster authorities or funding streams.”

Newsweek Crenshaw emailed outside of normal work hours seeking comment.

The SSP provides funding to non-federal organizations for humanitarian services to non-U.S. citizens. $640 million was allocated for the 2024 fiscal year that ended Monday. This was a significant increase from fiscal year 2023, when $363 million was allocated. In total, more than $1 billion has been spent on services for non-citizens over the past two years.

FEMA also addressed rumors that it solicited monetary donations from members of the public, turned away volunteers and confiscated disaster relief donations.

“FEMA does not solicit monetary donations or generally accept volunteers for disaster relief,” the agency clarified, saying that anyone approached by someone purporting to represent FEMA would be eligible for donations asks, probably a scammer.

It said rumors about “rejecting donations, stopping trucks or vehicles carrying donations, confiscating and confiscating supplies, which are often spread after a disaster” are all false.

“FEMA is not accepting donations and/or food from survivors or volunteer organizations,” the agency said. “Donations of food, water or other goods are handled by volunteer organizations that specialize in storing, sorting, cleaning and distributing donated items.”