Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday that FEMA does not have enough funding to last the rest of the year even as it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on migrants under the Biden administration and more hurricanes could be on the way.
DHS oversees FEMA, putting Mayorkas in charge of the emergency relief agency which has recently been focused on helping migrants settle in the U.S.
“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” Mayorkas told reporters. “We are expecting another hurricane hitting. FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”
The startling admission by Mayorkas comes as FEMA grapples with the widespread damage of Hurricane Helene, A Category 4 hurricane that ripped through the southeast costing billions of dollars, causing widespread infrastructure damage, food shortages, and more than 100 deaths. Many are still unaccounted for as well.
President Joe Biden said earlier this week he may call on Congress to pass more funding for FEMA.
In April of this year, FEMA announced $640 million in new funding, $300 million for “direct funding” to help immigrants settle in the U.S. while the other $340 million went to cities via grants for the same purpose.
“Last year, more than $780 million was awarded through SSP and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Humanitarian Awards, which went to organizations and cities across the country,” FEMA said in its release.
While funding is allocated by Congress and money can be flexibly funneled through FEMA from other internal sources, Mayorkas’ comments still show that FEMA’s resources have been focused on migrants while it was left unprepared for this deadly hurricane season.
“FEMA has what it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts. As FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has said, she has the full authority to spend against the President’s budget, but we’re not out of hurricane season yet so we need to keep a close eye on it,” said Director of Public Affairs and FEMA Spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg. “We may need to go back into immediate needs funding and we will be watching it closely.”
Illegal immigration has soared under the Biden-Harris administration with millions of migrants entering the U.S. and overwhelming the federal government’s ability to process them, let alone catch the millions of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border.
Nearly 14 million illegal border crossers and inadmissables have been reported under the Biden-Harris administration, The Center Square exclusively reported. Members of Congress and border security experts estimate the figure is actually much higher.
Hurricane season is expected to go through the end of November.
