FEMA Faces Funding Shortfall After Spending Millions On Noncitizens, Leaving Americans In Crisis

As FEMA struggles to provide aid to Americans devastated by Hurricane Helene, it has been revealed that the agency has spent over $640 million of its budget on noncitizen migrants in 2024. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted that FEMA is running out of funds and won’t be able to support disaster relief through the remainder of the hurricane season.

The hurricane, which swept through Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, left more than 160 people dead and displaced thousands. With over 150,000 households requesting assistance from FEMA, the agency is working to provide food, water, and other critical supplies, but its resources are running thin. Communities in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains were especially hard-hit, with at least 57 deaths reported around Asheville.

Critics of the Biden-Harris administration are furious, pointing to its immigration policies as the root cause of the funding shortfall. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) stated, “FEMA should be using its resources to help Americans, not spending millions to support noncitizens.” As the agency continues to prioritize noncitizen aid, many Americans are left waiting for help that might not arrive.

Despite Congress approving $20 billion in additional funding for FEMA, there are concerns that this will not be enough to meet the needs of future disasters. The ongoing crisis highlights the tension between immigration spending and disaster relief, with many arguing that American citizens should always come first.