Migrants at Floyd Bennett Discipline in 2023.
Picture by Spencer Platt/Getty Photos
The Trump administration is clawing again a further $188 million of Congressionally-allocated migrant disaster support from New York Metropolis — a transfer Mayor Eric Adams plans to problem in courtroom.
The state of affairs marks yet one more take a look at of how far Adams will go to defend the Huge Apple in opposition to Trump’s aggressive insurance policies, particularly relating to the migrant disaster — a problem the mayor closely criticized former President Biden for dealing with poorly. Adams beforehand stated he wouldn’t criticize Trump, whose Justice Division succeeded in getting the mayor’s corruption indictment dropped by a federal decide final week.
The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) and Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) knowledgeable Metropolis Corridor of their plans to terminate the Congressionally authorized Shelter and Providers Program funding in an April 1 letter, a duplicate of which New York News obtained. The funding, appropriated below former President Biden’s administration, is supposed to reimburse the town for a portion of the over $7 billion it has spent on offering providers for newly arrived migrants over the previous three years.
FEMA boss Cameron Hamilton, within the April 1 missive to the mayor, stated the company is rescinding the funds as a result of they have been awarded below a grant program that helps “or has the potential to support” unlawful immigration, which conflicts with the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on the follow.
“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,” Mayor Eric Adams stated on April 8, 2025.Picture by Dean Moses
“The individuals receiving these services often have no legal status and are in the United States unlawfully, such as those awaiting removal proceedings,” the letter reads. “This, in turn, provides support for illegal aliens and is not consistent with DHS’s current priorities. For these reasons, DHS/FEMA is terminating your awards.”
The Trump administration’s motion comes after it clawed again a earlier $80 million in migrant disaster support from a metropolis checking account with none warning on Feb. 11. Town, in flip, sued the feds on Feb. 21 to get the cash again—a matter that’s nonetheless being labored out within the courts.
Adams, in a press release, vowed to take further authorized motion to dam the feds from clawing again the $188 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,” Adams stated. “Simply put, this SSP grant from the federal government is the bare minimum New York taxpayers deserve. We will continue working to ensure our city’s residents receive every dollar they are owed and to prevent this funding clawback from taking effect.”
In response to Adams’ workplace, the town anticipated to obtain a complete of $223 million from the federal authorities however had solely acquired $106 million of that quantity. Trump’s administration recouped the $80 not lengthy after it was despatched below the earlier administration and froze one other $37 million the town was ready to say.
Adams railed in opposition to the Biden administration for effectively over a yr for not reimbursing the town for a lot extra of what it spent on the migrant disaster.
But, since Trump took workplace on Jan. 20 and his administration started to claw again what little cash the town acquired below Biden, Adams has been much more cautious about criticizing the president particularly and has continued guilty his predecessor for the ordeal.
