The Federal Emergency Management Agency has terminated $188 million in grants to New York City to care for migrants, arguing that the money is being used to support illegal immigration.
The decision, announced in a letter sent to the city on April 1, comes nearly two months after FEMA removed $80 million from the city’s bank accounts that was also to be used to care for migrants.
The $80 million that FEMA clawed back in February was part of the $188 million in grants; the latest action compels the city to turn over an additional $106 million. Mayor Eric Adams said the city would take legal action to recover the additional money, which has already been spent. The city’s lawsuit to recoup the $80 million is still active.
“Like their previous actions clawing back appropriated funds, these steps are unlawful, and the New York City Law Department is currently determining the best legal recourse to take to ensure that this money remains in New York City, where it was allocated and belongs,” the mayor said in a statement.
In his letter, the FEMA acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton, wrote that the grant money provided support to “illegal aliens that is not consistent” with the mission of President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security of “enforcing immigration laws and securing the border.”
The saga is part of an effort by the Trump administration to claw back money granted to the city under FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program, which was designed to help cities and others groups who were helping migrants once they were released from federal custody after crossing the border to seek asylum. The federal government is allowed to recover grants if it determines that the payments were improper, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Mr. Adams has faced criticism for refusing to publicly criticize the Trump administration. The mayor has been accused of entering into a quid pro quo with the administration: In exchange for the Justice Department moving to dismiss his five-count federal corruption indictment, he would cooperate with Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda. The mayor denies any quid pro quo.
Federal District Judge Dale E. Ho last week dismissed the charges against Mr. Adams with prejudice, meaning prosecutors can no longer revisit them, reducing the administration’s leverage to force the mayor to do its bidding.
Mr. Adams, a Democrat, announced last week that he would seek re-election as an independent in the November general election.
In his statement, the mayor criticized the federal government for not doing enough to help the city with the influx of migrants but did not criticize the Trump administration.
“As I have repeatedly said, New York City did not create this crisis — it was caused by decades of federal inaction and failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” the mayor said.