Claim by Elon Musk amplified by The Blaze: FEMA misappropriated disaster relief funds to house migrants in luxury hotels in New York City, leading to the firing of several FEMA officials.
Reasoning: Elon Musk, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claimed that FEMA illegally diverted disaster relief funds to house migrants in luxury hotels in New York City. Following this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated four FEMA employees, including the agency’s chief financial officer, alleging they bypassed leadership to authorize these payments.
Subsequently, DHS retracted $80 million in federal funding intended for New York City’s migrant housing and services. However, the funds in question were allocated under FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program, established by Congress to support local governments and NGOs assisting noncitizens released by immigration authorities. These funds are separate from disaster relief budgets. New York City received $80.5 million for migrant assistance, covering expenses such as hotels, security, and food, with the average hotel cost being $152 per night, not indicative of luxury accommodations. The suspension of payments was due to concerns about illegal activities in a Manhattan hotel, not misappropriation of disaster relief funds.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction. The claim that FEMA misused disaster relief funds to house migrants in luxury hotels is false. The funds were appropriately allocated under a separate program designed to assist with migrant housing and services.
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