Migrants at Floyd Bennett Area in 2023.
Photograph by Spencer Platt/Getty Photographs
The Trump administration is clawing again an extra over $106 million of Congressionally-allocated migrant disaster assist from New York Metropolis — a transfer Mayor Eric Adams plans to problem in courtroom.
The state of affairs marks one more check of how far Adams will go to defend the Massive Apple in opposition to Trump’s aggressive insurance policies, particularly in terms of the migrant disaster — a difficulty the mayor closely criticized former President Biden for dealing with poorly. Adams beforehand mentioned 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 underneath former President Biden’s administration, is supposed to reimburse the town for a portion of the over $7 billion it has spent on offering companies for newly arrived migrants over the previous three years.
In keeping with Adams’ workplace, the $106 million is the rest of the $223 million in migrant funding the feds had allotted to the town. Trump’s administration has already clawed again $80 final month and froze one other $37 million the town was ready to say.
FEMA boss Cameron Hamilton, within the April 1 missive to the mayor, mentioned the company is rescinding the funds as a result of they had been awarded underneath a grant program that helps “or has the potential to support” unlawful immigration, which conflicts with the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on the observe.
“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 mentioned on April 8, 2025.Photograph 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 assist from a metropolis checking account with none warning on Feb. 11. The 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 an announcement, vowed to take extra authorized motion to dam the feds from clawing again the $106 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 mentioned. “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.”
Adams railed in opposition to the Biden administration for properly over a yr for not reimbursing the town for much 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 obtained underneath Biden, Adams has been much more cautious about criticizing the president particularly and has continued in charge his predecessor for the ordeal.
