Trump administration pulls $188M in migrant aid from NYC
Trump admin cancels millions in NYC grants
FEMA slashed more funding for New York City that had been allocated to help with the migrant crisis. The city is looking to pursue legal action to keep the money, FOX 5 NY’s Morgan McKay reports.
NEW YORK - The Trump administration canceled $188 million in federal grants that were meant to reimburse New York City for sheltering migrants.
Officials said the money was being spent on supporting illegal immigration, but the city's mayor vows to fight the clawback.
What we know:
In a letter sent April 1 and shared with The Associated Press on Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency informed city officials that it was canceling the grants, which included roughly $80 million that the agency withdrew from city's bank account in February.
Feds subpoena NYC hotels housing migrants
Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed at least two New York City hotels that have been serving as migrant shelters, including the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown. The subpoenas request information on the names, birth dates, and nationalities of migrants living there, as well as details on funding and management. FOX 5’s Morgan McKay has the story.
The latest move would require the city to return an additional $106 million that officials said was used to house and care for migrants.
What they're saying:
In his letter to city officials, FEMA's acting director, Cameron Hamilton, wrote that the grant program is inconsistent with Trump administration priorities and that "individuals receiving these services often have no legal status and are in the United States unlawfully."
RELATED: Dept. of Justice subpoenas Manhattan hotels in migrant shelter investigation
Mayor Eric Adams, whose administration has sued for the return of the initial $80 million, said his office would also fight the wider grant cancellations.
"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 said in a statement.
Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter to close
New York City is set to wind down operations at the Roosevelt Hotel migrant intake center and emergency shelter. FOX 5 NY's Arthur Chi'en has the story.
At a news conference Tuesday, Adams, a Democrat who is running for reelection as an independent, praised some of the Trump administration's immigration policies but added that "we're going to fight for every penny" related to migrant costs.
The backstory:
The grants are part of a program approved by Congress and administered by FEMA that is intended to help local governments and nongovernmental organizations provide shelter and other social services for migrants.
RELATED: NYC's Roosevelt Hotel migrant intake center to close after nearly 2 years, Adams says
New York City, as it at one point absorbed thousands of migrants each week, leased hotels and other vacant buildings and used them as emergency shelters. The city, under a unique legal agreement, is required to provide shelter to anyone who asks for it, though officials worked to impose limits on the requirement as the city struggled to handle the influx.
Mayor Adams seeks more funds for migrant crisis
New York City Mayor Eric Adams traveled to Albany on Tuesday to ask state lawmakers for $1 billion to help cover the costs of the ongoing migrant crisis in New York City. FOX 5's Morgan McKay has the story.
Among the facilities leased by the city was the midtown Manhattan building that once housed the historic Roosevelt Hotel, which was converted to a shelter and an arrival center for migrants to sign up for social services.
The other side:
The city's use of the Roosevelt drew heavy criticism from Republicans and federal officials, who said the building had become a hotbed of gang activity and used that claim to justify the clawing back of the $80 million FEMA grant. The city, in its lawsuit over the funding, said the claim was unsubstantiated.
RELATED: New York City sues Trump administration over $80M FEMA migrant funding clawback
Hundreds of migrants sleep in line early on August 1, 2023, for placement at the Roosevelt Hotel intake center in New York. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
What's next:
The mayor has said that the city will cease operations at the Roosevelt and more than 50 other migrant shelters by June because arrivals have plummeted and migrants have been moved to other housing and communities.
Adams has been under intense pressure to prove his political independence from the Trump administration after the Department of Justice pushed to toss his federal corruption case so he could help with the Republican president's immigration crackdown.
A federal judge dismissed the charges last week.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from an April 1 letter sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to New York City officials, which was later shared with The Associated Press. The story also includes direct statements from FEMA’s acting director, Cameron Hamilton, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, both through official letters and public remarks.