4 FEMA employees fired for payment to repay immigration costs in New York City
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four federal employees were fired Tuesday to repay immigrant hotel costs in New York City, Department of Homeland Security officials said.
Workers are accused of circumventing leadership transactions, the standard for years passed a program that helped pay for the surge in immigration. But officials did not elaborate on how the four people violated any policy.
Elon Musk, aide to President Donald Trump, posted on X on Monday, his team found payments for bringing immigrants to “luxury hotels” designed to be used for Money for disaster relief. Musk blew up the federal emergency management agency that belongs to the Department of Homeland Security and called payments “total disobedience.”
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Cameron Hamilton, an agent manager at FEMA, later said the payments were suspended and their employees were authorized to be responsible.
The fired employee is FEMA’s chief financial officer, two program analysts and a grant expert, the Homeland Security statement said.
The statement said employees “paid huge payments for luxury hotels in New York City.” “The Department of Homeland Security will not stand by and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and security of the American people.”
The statement provided no additional details and officials did not respond to emails seeking further comments.
Information from New York City shows that the money it has received to care for immigrants has been allocated by Congress and was allocated to the city by FEMA last year. Spokeswoman Liz Garcia said the city never paid for luxury goods for hotels.
The funds may be sent through a shelter and service program that reimburses the immigration-related expenses to cities, towns or organizations.
The money comes from Congress and is dedicated to customs and border protection, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. FEMA manages payments.
The money is separated from the disaster relief fund, the main FEMA funding flow designed to help people and governments affected by the disaster.
Shelter and service programs have become a flashpoint for criticism from Republicans who claim it is making money from people hit by hurricanes or floods.
The shooting occurred when Trump’s Republican administration increased pressure on the FEMA, which indicated that it should be dissolved and states should be directly provided with funds to deal with the disaster.
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AP reporter Cedar Attanasio contributed from New York.
