‘This stops now,’ said acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, announcing that all such payments from FEMA were suspended on Feb. 9.
The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spent $59 million last week on continuing to house illegal immigrants in luxury hotels in New York City, according to Elon Musk.
“Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order,” Musk wrote on social media platform X on Feb. 10. “That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high-end hotels for illegals!
“A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds.”
Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton replied to Musk’s post, saying: “I want to thank the @DOGE team for making me aware of this. Effective yesterday these payments have all been suspended from FEMA. Personnel will be held accountable.”
Hamilton went on to say that Congress should have never asked FEMA to do that type of work in bills passed in 2023 and 2024.
“This stops now,” he said.
FEMA has been criticized for nearly a year over its disaster relief performance in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene and reports of political bias within its ranks.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 24 after visiting the recovery areas of North Carolina. In the order, he called for the creation of a council to review FEMA.
“There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA,” Trump stated in his order. “Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President.
“And it has lost mission focus, diverting limited staff and resources to support missions beyond its scope and authority, spending well over a billion dollars to welcome illegal aliens.”
While speaking to reporters in North Carolina, the president also hinted at possibly getting rid of FEMA amid the reform attempts.
“Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters,” he said in his order.
By T.J. Muscaro
