FEMA Spending

By Jayden Branam

    In the wake of hurricane season, new light has been shed on FEMA's budget spending. Several claims have been made, accusing FEMA of cutting disaster relief funds to aid noncitizen migrants. Are these claims true, or just another tool to further politicize the public as the upcoming election creeps closer and closer?

    FEMA's Shelter and Services Program (SSP) has spent over $1 billion on noncitizen services in the past two years alone. In the fiscal year of 2024, $650,000,000 has been appropriated for the SSP by Congress. This money goes to providing noncitizen migrants with housing, food, hygienic supplies, and transportation to places like hospitals or airports. When looking at the taxes paid by undocumented immigrants, this spending is well justified. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes (the majority of this money goes to the federal government). Over a third of these tax dollars went to funding programs that these migrants don't even have access to, such as Medicare. Furthermore, in 40 states noncitizen migrants paid higher tax rates than the top 1% of households within the border. But how does this money relate to disaster relief funds?

    The short answer is that it doesn't. The Shelter and Service Program is an entirely separate grant program from The Disaster Relief Fund. FEMA has released an official statement, debunking false claims and clarifying that “Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts” (fema.gov). FEMA claims that its program does have sufficient funds to cover immediate recovery needs. Serious Needs Assistance provides $750 in immediate relief to hurricane victims. However, this is NOT the only assistance provided by the Disaster Relief Program. The financial aid provided by FEMA preceding natural disasters is flexible. Not only does the program provide money, it also offers assistance with additional needs such as temporary housing and repair costs.