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    • Hurricane FEMA funds diverted to immigrants? Not true
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    Hurricane FEMA funds diverted to immigrants? Not true

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    The claim: The Biden administration spent FEMA hurricane relief funds on “illegals.”

    An Oct. 2 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris diverted funds to disaster relief.

    “Kamala and Biden spent the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s emergency money on housing and caring for illegal immigrants. They are now not prepared for the current hurricane damage,” the text of the post reads.

    Similar versions of the claim have been amplified by former President Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan.

    More from the Fact Check team: How we select and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

    Our rating: False

    Both FEMA and a White House spokesman said the claim was false. It combines the agency's disaster relief fund with a separate program that helps the homeless. The money appropriated by Congress for the Disaster Relief Fund must be used for this purpose, and any other use violates the law.

    Claim brings together disaster relief fund and homeless program

    Hurricane Helene devastated the southeastern United States in late September, causing widespread flooding, estimated billions of dollars in damage, and more than 200 deaths. Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida less than two weeks later, reaching sustained winds of 180 miles per hour on October 7 as it approached the state's Gulf Coast. This came as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that FEMA does not have enough funding to get through the hurricane season, which ends on November 30th.

    Fact check: These storm images are not from Hurricane Helene in Florida

    But contrary to the post's claim, the Biden administration did not use hurricane relief funds for immigrants, according to FEMA and a White House spokesman. There is no credible evidence that such spending – which would be illegal – was made.

    The post's use of the phrase “FEMA emergency funds” and mention of “current hurricane damage” reinforce a connection between disaster spending and funds used for immigrants. However, this confuses several FEMA programs, which allocate funds from different sources for specific purposes.

    When asked for evidence to support his claim, the Facebook user shared a clip from September 2022 in which White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre described FEMA's food and emergency shelter program as aid after dozens of migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard with false promises of jobs and housing. However, this program has nothing to do with the Disaster Relief Fund. Their stated goal is to provide homeless people with food and shelter.

    In a statement posted on its website, FEMA said that “no money will be diverted for disaster relief purposes.” And White House spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the disaster relief fund is managed “entirely separately from other grant programs.” from FEMA.”

    The disaster relief fund, which received $20 billion as part of the bill passed by Congress to fund the government through December 20, is governed by the Stafford Act. However, the much smaller food and shelter program is funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, with FEMA announcing $117 million in funding in April.

    USA TODAY has previously debunked false claims that people affected by Helene will receive “only $750” in aid and that Biden has said those people would no longer receive aid.

    The Washington Post also debunked a version of the claim.

    Our fact-checking sources:

    • FEMA, October 3, Responding to Hurricane Rumors
    • FEMA, June 26, 2023, Food and Emergency Shelter Program
    • FEMA, April 23, FEMA Bulletin
    • Angelo Fernandez Hernandez, October 3, X post
    • National Constitution Center, accessed October 8, appropriations clause
    • The White House, September 16, 2022, press conference by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby, September 16, 2022
    • Emergency Food and Shelter Program, accessed October 8, EFSP
    • GovInfo, March 18, Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
    • GovInfo, March 9, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024

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    USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to impartiality, fairness and transparency. Our fact-checking work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

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    Kathleen William
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