Mayorkas rips 'politicized' atmosphere over FEMA disaster response amid GOP criticism: 'It sows distrust'

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has been a governmental lightning rod for contention during the Biden-Harris administration, connected Monday pushed backmost against what helium claimed was "intentionally mendacious information" astir the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) work.

"I person not seen it ever earlier astatine this level," helium said connected MSNBC, speaking to big Jen Psaki. "You and I some retrieve a clip erstwhile an utmost upwind event, a earthy disaster, really brought radical together. Now, unfortunately, tragically, rather frankly, it is politicized."

Both DHS and FEMA person been nether occurrence implicit their effect to Hurricane Helene, with claims that it has diverted resources to amerciable immigrants, has been delayed successful its response, and is retired of money.

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This divided shows DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a North Carolina resident. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein | Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Much of the contention was triggered past week erstwhile Mayorkas said FEMA "does not person the funds to marque it done the season." He went connected to accidental that the bureau has the wealth for "immediate needs" but is acrophobic astir not having a unchangeable proviso of funding. Congress precocious freed up $20 cardinal for the catastrophe fund, but officials person called connected Congress to walk a supplemental spending bill.

Critics rapidly pointed to FEMA's relation successful distributing much than $650 cardinal successful funds to assistance amerciable immigrants arsenic portion of its Shelter and Services Program (SSP). Former President Trump precocious accused the Biden medication of stealing FEMA wealth "for their amerciable immigrants." 

However, the Biden medication has noted that that funding, which comes from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and is congressionally appropriated for grants to section governments and nonprofits, is wholly abstracted from the importantly larger Disaster Relief Fund.

"No wealth is being diverted from catastrophe effect needs. FEMA’s catastrophe effect efforts and idiosyncratic assistance is funded done the Disaster Relief Fund, which is simply a dedicated money for catastrophe efforts. Disaster Relief Fund wealth has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts," FEMA said successful a merchandise this week.

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It has inactive faced questions from immoderate Republican senators astir whether its "entanglement" successful the borderline situation has affected its operational readiness.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., meanwhile, told Fox News Digital past week that the medication has "failed successful that response."

"They are scrambling to screen their egregious errors and mistakes. And there's an effort to blasted others oregon blasted circumstances erstwhile this is conscionable purely a deficiency of enactment and response," the talker said.

FEMA besides faced backlash past week aft its unearthed exigency absorption "equity" blueprint went viral. The fig 1 extremity listed successful the Biden-Harris agency's priorities is to "instill equity arsenic a instauration of exigency management." 

According to FEMA's plan, "Diversity, equity, and inclusion cannot beryllium optional." 

This week, FEMA has been pushing backmost against claims that FEMA grants person to beryllium repaid, that it is restricting airspace for rescue and betterment operations, and that it is distributing assistance based connected demographic characteristics. It has published a information expanse to cheque immoderate of those claims.

Mayorkas, who was impeached by the Republican-led House this year, connected Monday again stressed that determination is assistance disposable for those who request it, and warned of the effects of misinformation.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, during a property briefing, July 15, 2024, astatine the White House. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn MartinAP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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"What happens is the radical who are victimized by the earthy catastrophe are the ones who volition suffer," helium said. "It sows distrust successful their government, and truthful they don't question the assistance that they genuinely need." 

"We person funds to enactment successful their pockets to beryllium capable to assistance them code contiguous needs. These individuals are not seeking that alleviation due to the fact that of the disinformation, the intentionally mendacious accusation they are receiving."

He besides said the misinformation hurts the workforce.

This divided shows the borderline on with President Biden, Vice President Harris and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (Getty Images)

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"These are individuals who are putting their lives connected the enactment to hunt and rescue for victims of Hurricane Helene, a hurricane of historical magnitude," helium said. "It is precise sad."

Critics person pointed to his handling of the historical situation astatine the confederate border, including his fueling of a since-debunked contention astir Border Patrol agents connected horseback allegedly mistreating Haitian migrants, erstwhile judging his record.

Fox News' Liz Elkind contributed to this report.