Research/Study
Right-wing media are falsely claiming FEMA spent its resources on migrants instead of helping Hurricane Helene victims
Government officials have called the claim “completely false,” while reports have noted that the Republican-led House recently cut FEMA’s budget and Trump redirected disaster relief funding in 2019
Published
In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation, right-wing media are following Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in baselessly accusing the Federal Emergency Management Agency of taking funds intended for the victims of Helene and instead giving it to migrants.
Conservative figures have also alleged that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are “prioritizing the needs of noncitizens” and now “they have nothing left for Hurricane Helene victims.”
In reality, FEMA provides money to migrants through the Shelter and Services Program, which is not linked to the agency’s disaster-related “funding streams” but is instead paid for via the Department of Homeland Security.