Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sparked outrage on Wednesday when he revealed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “does not have the funds” to support Americans through the remainder of this Atlantic hurricane season. This announcement followed FEMA’s expenditure of over $1.4 billion since late 2022 to address the ongoing migrant crisis.
“We are meeting the immediate needs with the resources we have,” Mayorkas said during a press briefing aboard Air Force One while en route to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in North and South Carolina. “But with another hurricane approaching, we simply do not have the funds to make it through the rest of the season.”
Critics quickly highlighted the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) allocation of $640.9 million in FEMA-administered funds this year to help state and local governments manage the influx of asylum seekers. In response to the backlash, Mayorkas’ office clarified that those funds were designated by Congress specifically for the migrant crisis and could not be redirected for hurricane relief efforts.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was among those voicing strong criticism. “This is easy. Mayorkas and FEMA—stop spending money on illegal immigration resettlement and redirect those funds to areas hit