NORTH CAROLINA (WLOS) -- FEMA is under the microscope as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is shining a light on a recent $59 million payment used to help house migrants in New York City hotels.
"Sending 59 million bucks to a migrant hotel to house illegal immigrants when there are still people in North Carolina and California who have not received FEMA funding is not something that this administration is going to tolerate," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Four FEMA employees were fired after this news was made public.
DISASTER SURVIVORS FAIRNESS ACT AIMS TO SIMPLIFY FEMA PROCESS AND AID COORDINATION
"I think that that was exactly the right choice," Rep. Chuck Edwards said.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted this on X Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 12:
"Part of the America First agenda should be to take care of those folks that have fought our wars, paid their taxes, taken risk, built our communities far ahead of those folks who broke the law," Edwards said.
PROTESTERS IN ASHEVILLE DEMAND FEMA REFORMS AMID HOUSING CRISIS DURING TRUMP'S VISIT
The payment referenced above was from congressionally appropriated FEMA funds used to reimburse New York City for hotel, security, food and other costs between 2023 and 2024 related to migrant services.
Claims the $59 million was earmarked for disaster relief in Western North Carolina sparked outrage, but the monies for migrant services and disaster relief, despite both being doled out by FEMA, are separate.
"The money that was discovered was not appropriated directly for disaster relief, it was another line item on the federal budget, but it was money that otherwise be used if proportioned properly," Edwards said.
SECRETARY NOEM ASSESSES HELENE RECOVERY IN ASHEVILLE, VOWS SUPPORT
Edwards, who believes FEMA needs to be scaled back, is preparing a report on how to fix the agency which he plans to present to President Trump's task force as well as the president himself.
"There are a lot of great people inside of FEMA and I sense the frustration with them and the bureaucracy that they have to maneuver within," Edwards said.
DOGE's website is promising information about savings no later than Friday.