The mayor of New York City vowed to fight the clawback after the Trump administration canceled $188 million in federal funding intended to compensate the city for providing shelter to migrants, claiming the funds were being used to facilitate illegal immigration.
The Federal Emergency Management government told municipal authorities in a letter dated April 1 that it was revoking the awards, which included almost $80 million that the government had taken out of the city’s bank account in February, as reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
In the most recent action, the city would have to reimburse an extra $106 million that officials claimed was utilized for migrant housing and care.
Mayor Eric Adams stated that his office would also challenge the broader grant cancellations. His administration has filed a lawsuit to recover the original $80 million.
“Like their previous actions clawing back appropriated funds, these steps are unlawful, and the New York City Law Department is currently determining the best legal recourse to take to ensure that this money remains in New York City, where it was allocated and belongs,” he stated.
The subsidies are a component of a congressionally approved program run by FEMA that aims to assist local governments and nongovernmental organizations in offering migrants shelter and other social services.
FEMA’s acting director, Cameron Hamilton, wrote to city authorities that “individuals receiving these services often have no legal status and are in the United States unlawfully” and that the grant program is at odds with Trump administration policies.
At one point, New York City leased hotels and other empty buildings and used them as emergency shelters, taking in thousands of refugees every week.
Although officials attempted to reduce the need as the city struggled to manage the influx, the city is obligated to offer shelter to everyone who requests it under a special legal arrangement.
The city leased a number of structures, including the iconic Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, which was transformed into a refuge and an arrival center where migrants could register for social assistance.
Republicans and federal officials harshly criticized the city’s usage of the Roosevelt, claiming it had become a gang hot spot and using that as justification to rescind the $80 million FEMA grant.
The assertion was deemed baseless by the city in its lawsuit regarding the funds.
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Due to a sharp decline in arrivals and the relocation of migrants to other towns and homes, the mayor has announced that the city will shut down the Roosevelt and more than 50 other migrant shelters by June.
Since the Department of Justice attempted to drop his federal corruption prosecution so he could assist with the Republican president’s immigration crackdown, Adams has been under tremendous pressure to demonstrate his political independence from the Trump administration.
Last Monday, a federal court threw out the charges.
Adams, a Democrat seeking reelection as an independent, welcomed some of the Trump administration’s immigration measures during a press conference on Tuesday, but he also stated that “we’re going to fight for every penny” when it comes to migrant costs.
Source: The Associated Press
