'Highway robbery': New York City hits back over FEMA funds seized by Trump administration
Source: Politico
‘Highway robbery’: New York City hits back over FEMA funds seized by Trump administration
The $80 million in funding was clawed back after the Trump administration claimed the money was being used to house migrants in “luxury hotels.
By Ali Bianco and Cris Seda Chabrier
02/12/2025 05:52 PM EST
Updated: 02/12/2025 06:42 PM EST
The Trump administration has clawed back $80 million that the federal government paid New York City to provide shelter in hotels for migrants, prompting outrage from local officials who say they may be forced to cut programs to make up for the loss.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the funding pullback in a social media post Wednesday, portraying the decision to fund the program as the work of “deep state activists” from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander said the abrupt decision was an illegal diversion by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency of money used to house asylum-seekers admitted to the U.S. under President Joe Biden.
“President Trump and his crony Elon Musk illegally executed a revocation of $80 million in congressionally-appropriated FEMA funding from New York City’s bank accounts,” Lander said in a statement. “This highway robbery of our funds directly out of our bank account is a betrayal of everyone who calls New York City home.”
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Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/12/fema-new-york-city-migrant-hotel-funds-017015