Federal Migrant Aid Funds May Be Shifted To Enforcement

Homeland Security officials are discussing using FEMA funds, intended to provide housing and other aid to migrants, for immigration enforcement, CNN reports. The so-called Shelter and Services Program was the target of Republican attacks during the 2024 presidential campaign and drew the ire of Elon Musk, resulting in the firings of four employees.. This week, FEMA notified recipients that it was terminating grants associated with the program, arguing that the payments “no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities."

“The individuals receiving these services often have no legal status and are in the United States unlawfully, such as those awaiting removal proceedings. This, in turn, provides support for illegal aliens and is not consistent with DHS’s current priorities,” Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton said in termination letters distributed to grant recipients.

The grant program was established in 2019 to aid cities sheltering migrants. The Emergency Food and Shelter Program, a component of FEMA, administered the program, and later FEMA administered the funds in partnership with US Customs and Border Protection. FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program awarded $641 million to dozens of states and organizations in fiscal year 2024. Unspent funding is estimated to be more than $800 million. “The legislative authority for this grant program is extremely broad,” a source told CNN. “Their interpretation is that providing shelter for an immigrant is tantamount to a detention bed.” “Secretary Noem has directed FEMA to implement additional controls to ensure that all grant money going out is consistent with law and does not go to fraud, waste or abuse, as in the past,” Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN. “The open borders gravy train is over, and there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people.” The potential recasting of FEMA funds for immigration enforcement comes against the backdrop of discussions to dismantle the disaster relief agency and a push to shore up resources to execute the president’s mass deportation pledge.