FEMA is reportedly depleted of funds due to vast expenditures on illegal immigrant support leaving no funds for hurricane victims according to Breitbart.
Amid devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene in the southern and eastern United States, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), made a startling admission this week.
He stated, “We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” and added poignantly, “We do not have the funds. FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”
As communities reel from the hurricane's ferocity, the department's fiscal priorities face increasing criticism. Only three months ago, Mayorkas assured the public of FEMA's preparedness, claiming the agency was “tremendously prepared.” This statement now stands in stark contrast to his current declaration of insufficient funding.
It has surfaced that over $1 billion of FEMA’s budget this year was redirected to various migrant-support initiatives. These include substantial costs for housing programs—a departure from FEMA’s traditional remit of disaster response.
The financial strategy has not gone uncontested. Rep. Ashley Hinson articulated a common sentiment among critics by saying, “The agency should be solely focused on disaster relief and keeping Americans safe."
Her remark echoes a broader debate over national priorities. Moreover, Rep. Nancy Mace has taken a proactive stance by introducing legislation aimed at halting FEMA's expenditures on migrant accommodations.
In the Vice-Presidential debate, GOP nominee JD Vance highlighted these expenditures as a point of contentious political and ethical debate.
He criticized the current administration for the apparent misallocation, which has surged against a backdrop of loosened federal immigration policies leading to hundreds of thousands of Haitians relocating across various states.
States such as New York, Illinois, and Colorado have voiced concerns about being overwhelmed financially due to the surge in migrant populations.
This influx, coupled with the direct transportation of migrants from their countries of origin under an expanded parole program, has significantly strained local and federal budgets. The Biden administration's policies are reported to have incurred a staggering $600 billion over the last two years alone, excluding additional burdens borne by state governments.
Former President Donald Trump weighed into the discussion with characteristic bluntness, accusing the current administration of stealing FEMA money "just like they stole it from a bank" to assist migrants, which he suggested was a tactic to garner votes.
The glaring fiscal discrepancies come at a time when analysts and disaster response advocates are calling for a more robust and sustainable approach to funding FEMA.
With the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, notably hurricanes, an adequately funded FEMA is crucial.
Mayorkas’s earlier assurances of readiness are now overshadowed by his recent statements about the agency's financial incapacity.
This contradiction not only highlights a pressing logistical challenge but also raises questions about the forthcoming disaster response capabilities.
As Hurricane Helene's aftermath continues to unfold, the scrutiny of FEMA's financial health and prioritization practices remains critical. The ongoing political and public discourse around federal spending priorities is likely to intensify, particularly as further storm threats loom on the horizon.