Trump’s False Claims About FEMA’s Response to Hurricane Helene

The former president falsely accused the Biden administration of spending disaster funding on migrants, neglecting areas that had voted for Republicans and ignoring a call from a Republican governor.

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Former President Donald J. Trump on Monday at a furniture store in Valdosta, Ga., destroyed by Hurricane Helene.

After Hurricane Helene battered several Southeastern states last week, former President Donald J. Trump wasted no time in criticizing President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the federal government’s response — often making false accusations.

Mr. Trump’s supporters, including Elon Musk and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, have seized on the claims, parroting his talking points to undercut the administration.

Here’s a fact check of Mr. Trump’s recent remarks.

What Was Said

“Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants.”
— Mr. Trump at a rally in Michigan on Thursday

False. Funding for migrant shelters did not amount to “billions of dollars,” nor did it deplete the coffers of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. And no disaster funding has been spent on those shelters.

FEMA, like all other federal agencies, receives funding from Congress for specific functions. Its disaster relief fund received almost $36 billion in funding for the 2024 fiscal year, which ended in September. Outside that fund, FEMA also received more than $5 billion for its National Flood Insurance Program; more than $1.5 billion for personnel, procurement and facilities; and almost $4 billion for federal grant programs it administers.

Mr. Trump’s allies have specifically focused on one of those initiatives, the Shelter and Services Program. Created in 2023 by Congress, the program doles out grants to groups and localities that provide shelter and other services to migrants released from the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, which FEMA is a part of. Its $650 million in funding for the 2024 fiscal year came from Customs and Border Protection’s budget. That amount is equal to less than 2 percent of the disaster relief funding and even less compared with FEMA’s total funding for that fiscal year.

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