Nashville Standard

House Republicans have launched an investigation into Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago concerning their handling of federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during the Biden administration's border crisis. Leading the investigation are Mark E. Green, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Josh Brecheen, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability, and Dale Strong, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology.

The committee is examining whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Shelter and Services Program funds were awarded to entities involved in illegal activities. The investigation focuses on potential misuse of the funds meant to support non-federal entities providing shelter to migrants.

In letters addressed to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, the chairmen requested documents and communications related to the SSP from October 1, 2023, to January 19, 2025. They also asked for applications for SSP-Competitive awards and information on sub-award recipients.

As noted in the letter to Mayor Adams, the committee is conducting oversight of the "Department of Homeland Security’s Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which grants financial support to non-federal entities that provide sheltering and related activities to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department.”

According to the chairmen, “On February 11, 2025, Cameron Hamilton, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator, filed a brief in opposition to a challenge to an Office of Management and Budget directive that pauses certain federal funding, in which he stated that FEMA temporarily paused funding for SSP ‘based on significant concerns that the funding is going to entities engaged in or facilitating illegal activities.’ Based on Mr. Hamilton’s assertions, the Committee is concerned that funds awarded, obligated, and distributed through the SSP were approved under the Biden-Harris administration without proper oversight of the recipients and their programs.”

Additionally, the chairmen noted that “Congress authorized $650 million for the SSP program in fiscal year (FY) 2024 through the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024. FEMA allocated and distributed $59,302,125.07 to the City of New York for FY2024 through its SSP-Allocated (SSP-A) program and $22,169,838 to the City of New York for FY2024 through its SSP-Competitive (SSP-C) program. The Committee seeks a full accounting of funds awarded to New York for the FY2024 SSP to ensure its compliance with federal law.”

This investigation follows a reversal last month of an $80 million FEMA payment to New York City and the firing of four individuals for “circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants.”

In October 2024, Chairman Green had previously written to then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas questioning the use of FEMA funds for programs assisting illegal aliens when the agency stated funds may not be available for hurricane season.

By the end of President Biden's term, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded nearly 11 million inadmissible alien encounters, including over eight million at the Southwest border, alongside two million others who evaded capture.