FEMA head denies agency is short on money for disaster relief because funds went to illegal immigrants

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s demolition successful the southeastern U.S., the caput of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it was "just plain false" that the bureau was abbreviated connected catastrophe alleviation funds due to the fact that the wealth was spent connected amerciable immigrants.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was interviewed by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos connected "This Week."

"Let's let's speech astir immoderate of the misinformation that is retired there, including these claims from erstwhile President Trump that FEMA is astir $1 cardinal abbreviated due to the fact that wealth has been going to undocumented immigrants," Stephanopoulos said.

"You know, it’s frankly ridiculous and conscionable plain false," Criswell said. "This benignant of rhetoric is not adjuvant to people. You know, it’s truly a shame that we’re putting authorities up of helping people, and that’s what we’re present to do. We person had the implicit enactment of the state."

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FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell speaks during a quality league astatine the White House connected Sept. 26, 2024. (Al Drago)

She continued by saying FEMA has had section officials assistance propulsion backmost connected the "dangerous" communicative that has created fearfulness among those whose lives were devastated by the harm done by Helene successful places similar western North Carolina and Georgia.

"You know, radical request resources, and we request them to get into the system, and it’s conscionable a shame that radical are sitting location connected their comfy couches portion we person thousands of radical present connected the crushed that person near their ain families to beryllium capable to assistance those successful need," Criswell said.

Stephanopoulos past asked Criswell astir the misinformation spreading online and going viral, with 1 societal media idiosyncratic suggesting a militia should spell against FEMA.

"It has a tremendous interaction connected the comfortableness level of our ain employees to beryllium capable to spell retired there. But it's besides demoralizing to each of the archetypal responders that person been retired determination successful their communities helping people, FEMA staff, volunteers, the backstage assemblage that are moving broadside by broadside with section officials to spell retired and assistance people," she said. "I request to marque definite I tin get the resources to wherever they are needed. And erstwhile you person this unsafe rhetoric similar you're hearing, it creates fearfulness successful our ain employees. We request to marque definite we're getting assistance to the radical who request it."

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Brian McCormack pauses aft utilizing a wheelbarrow to cleanable up debris near successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Oct. 1, 2024, successful Marshall, N.C. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Fox News Digital reached retired to FEMA to get clarification connected what misinformation was being spread, and a spokesperson said catastrophe alleviation funds and migration travel from "two antithetic pots of money."

The spokesperson explained that the catastrophe wealth for the Disaster Relief Fund comes from Congress, adding that nary wealth has been utilized for thing other different than catastrophe alleviation operations.

Criswell, the spokesperson said, was talking astir misinformation and however overmuch that misinformation hurts the operation. Those who request assistance, the spokesperson explained, judge the rumors.

FEMA HAS FUNDS NEEDED FOR ‘IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY,’ DESPITE MAYORKAS' WARNING

A drone presumption shows harm caused by Hurricane Helene successful Asheville, N.C., connected Sept. 29, 2024. (Reuters/Marco Bello)

FEMA said the bureau is not abbreviated connected wealth for disaster relief contempt what has been said.

Along with funding, the Biden medication is besides pouring resources into hard-hit areas.

On Sunday, President Biden ordered 500 further active-duty troops to enactment on-the-ground efforts. There are present 1,500 troops mobilized to assistance National Guard and national personnel.

The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that FEMA had the funds needed for "immediate effect and recovery" contempt Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas informing astir the imaginable deficiency of money.

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Employees Linda Bandy, left, and Carissa Sheehan cleanable up the International Moulding framework store that was damaged by floodwater from Hurricane Helene connected Sept. 30, 2024, successful Morganton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

"FEMA has what it needs for contiguous effect and betterment efforts," spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg said on X. "As [Administrator Deanne Criswell] said, she has the afloat authorization to walk against the President’s budget, but we’re not retired of hurricane play yet truthful we request to support a adjacent oculus connected it."

The bureau had precocious lifted contiguous needs funding, which allows the bureau to absorption connected urgent efforts and intermission nonurgent projects, but Rothenberg said the bureau whitethorn inactive request to spell backmost to that "and we volition beryllium watching it closely."

Mayorkas grabbed headlines connected Wednesday erstwhile helium said FEMA does not person capable backing to marque it done hurricane season, which lasts until November.

"We are gathering the contiguous needs with the wealth that we have. We are expecting different hurricane hitting," helium said. "FEMA does not person the funds to marque it done the season."

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The Rocky Broad River flows into Lake Lure and overflows the municipality with debris from Chimney Rock, N.C., aft dense rains from Hurricane Helene connected Sept. 28, 2024. Approximately six feet of debris piled connected the span from Lake Lure to Chimney Rock, blocking access. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

Congress precocious made $20 cardinal successful contiguous backing disposable for FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund arsenic portion of a bipartisan woody to debar a authorities shutdown astatine the extremity of past month. But Congress is presently retired until mid-November, aft Election Day (Nov. 5).

Mayorkas’ remarks astir a imaginable deficiency of backing sparked disapproval from Republicans and conservatives, who pointed to backing utilized by FEMA for grants to location and attraction for amerciable immigrants who crossed the confederate border.

Critics referenced the Shelter and Services Program, which spent $650 cardinal successful fiscal 2023 connected grants to nonprofits and section organizations to assistance migrants. But the Biden medication pushed back, noting that the backing is appropriated by Congress and wholly abstracted from catastrophe alleviation funding.

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The White House called the assertion that wealth had been spent connected services for amerciable immigrants "false."

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Elizabeth Elkind, arsenic good arsenic the Associated Press contributed to this report.