In the United States, false claims that federal emergency disaster funds are being illegally given to migrants have spread rapidly in recent days, backed by former President Donald Trump and some of his most high-profile supporters.
During a rally in Saginaw, Michigan on Thursday, Trump repeated one of the more extreme claims, saying the money was stolen.
“They stole FEMA money like they stole from a bank so they could give it to their illegal immigrants because they wanted to vote for them this season,” he said.
Trump and his allies appear to be conflating two different funds. FEMA has allocated money for disaster relief that cannot be used for other purposes. Separately, in 2022, Congress directed Customs and Border Protection to distribute money to help communities receiving an influx of migrants.
The false allegations have gained significant traction among Trump supporters and conservative media since Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Wednesday that the agency would need more money for the rest of the hurricane season and for Helena’s recovery and called for a stable source of funding.
On it a dedicated fact-check pageFEMA responded that the disaster relief was “directed to support international efforts or border-related issues.”
“No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, a fund earmarked for disaster relief efforts,” FEMA said in its post. “Disaster Relief Fund monies are not diverted to other non-disaster efforts.”
FEMA added: “FEMA currently has sufficient funds available for immediate response and recovery needs. If you’ve been affected by Helene, don’t hesitate to apply for disaster relief, as there are different types of aid available for different needs.”
FEMA did Manages $640 million in grants From Customs and Border Protection in 2024, and approximately $364 million in 2023 to cities and counties serving migrants. However, this program, called the Shelter and Services Program, or SSP, is separate from FEMA’s more than $20 billion in disaster relief funds.
The SSP was created in 2022 as cities grappled with the influx of migrants. In the same year, Congress directed Customs and Border Protection will transfer $800 million to FEMA to support cities that harbor migrants. The money was transferred to FEMA, and as with many other federal grant programs, FEMA administered the distribution of the grants.
For 2023 and 2024, SSP funds went to cities like Denver, Chicago and Philadelphia, as well as nonprofits like Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army.
It is illegal to divert and use funds appropriated by Congress for one purpose.
Disaster funds are separate and are used to direct, coordinate, manage, and finance appropriate response and recovery efforts related to major domestic disasters and emergencies.
Through these funds, FEMA can fund authorized federal disaster support activities, as well as eligible state, territorial, tribal, and local activities, such as emergency response and debris removal.
A spokesman for Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said any claims of disaster funds going to illegal immigrants are false.
“As Secretary Mayorkas has said, FEMA has the necessary resources to meet the immediate needs of Hurricane Helene and other disasters,” the spokesperson said. “The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is an entirely separate, segregated grant program authorized and funded by Congress and not in any way related to FEMA’s disaster agencies or funding sources.”
Efforts to clarify funding have done little to prevent a series of claims about FEMA and migrants that range from misleading and out of context to outright false. Some, such as Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, made a false claim In X, FEMA is using disaster funds to house migrants and the government is “abandoning” hard-hit areas. X owner Elon Musk, among Trump’s most vocal supporters, repeated Jordan’s false claims about FEMA and several others.
Part of the issue for FEMA stems from the lack of a consistent federal budget. Congress has funded the federal government in the past year through at least four short-term spending bills, known as continuing resolutions, instead of annual appropriations. His latest appropriations bill, was adopted and signed in Marchfinanced the government until September.
“Now we have an urgent need for a sustainable solution. We have funds, but it is not a steady source of supply. It’s a multi-billion dollar, multi-year recovery, the magnitude of a billion, a multi-billion dollar commitment and a multi-year commitment,” Mayorkas told reporters on Air Force One, noting that entire cities were gone.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Thursday that President Joe Biden has overseen more than $45 million in direct relief from Hurricane Helene. So far, 245,000 people have applied for financial assistance to FEMA, according to the agency.
According to the FEMA website, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for FEMA cash assistance programs.
With another hurricane expected to make landfall this season, FEMA doesn’t have enough to cover the expected damage, Mayorkas said.
“We expect another hurricane to happen. We have no funds. FEMA doesn’t have the funds to get through the season and what’s expected,” he said.