Speaker Johnson Addresses Claims FEMA Diverted Funds to Immigration Efforts: ‘American People are Disgusted’
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson joined “Fox News Sunday,” where he addressed claims that FEMA diverted disaster relief funds to immigration efforts. Johnson stated, “The Federal Emergency Management Agency, their mission is to help people in times like this of natural disaster. Not to be engaged in using any pool of funding from any account for resettling illegal aliens who have come across the border. That’s what the Biden administration, Kamala Harris, and Secretary Mayorkas have been engaged in.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last week denied that FEMA resources were going to migrants, but cited FEMA funds for migrants in 2022. “Former President Trump is accusing the Biden administration of using FEMA funding to support undocumented migrants. How is the White House responding to that?” a reporter asked during a Friday press conference. Jean-Pierre responded, “I mean, it’s just categorically false. It is not true. It is a false statement.”
Critics have since compared her statement to comments made in 2022, where she cited FEMA resources were available to illegal immigrants. “FEMA Regional Administrators have been meeting with city officials on site to coordinate – to coordinate available federal resources,” Jean-Pierre said in a 2022 press conference.
FEMA has a pool of funds explicitly used for natural disasters, while Congress called on FEMA in 2022 to disseminate funds from Customs and Border Protection to assist American communities. FEMA’s website currently has a “Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response” page to address false claims surrounding recovery efforts, including a rebuke of the claim that FEMA diverted disaster response funds to “border-related issues.” “This is false. No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster-related efforts,” FEMA posted in response to the claim.
