By Brandy Perez, The Daily Signal | October 26, 2024
At every turn, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have used the Federal Emergency Management Agency to facilitate mass illegal migration rather than preparing the agency to fulfill its mission of disaster response.
Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on communities in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas in September. Since then, the pain and suffering of this natural disaster have been multiplied by the Biden-Harris administration’s lackluster response. To date, however, FEMA has failed to take responsibility for its failure.
The agency needs a fact-check. And the American people deserve one.
The simple truth is that FEMA’s spending reflects its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” agenda.
For example, FEMA denies rumors that it distributes aid based on demographic characteristics. But FEMA’s own website says otherwise. The agency considers factors such as race, ethnicity, and English proficiency when granting aid. That reflects the Biden-Harris administration’s insistence since the very first day of the administration that “equity” would be its guiding principle.
That has been especially detrimental in North Carolina, where FEMA’s DEI-based formulas factor racial and minority status into “social susceptibility,” a main component of the National Risk Index score. This score helps FEMA determine which areas to prioritize for aid, and it could put predominantly white areas at a significant disadvantage.
Consider places like Buncombe County. Hurricane Helene killed at least 57 people there, the largest death toll of any single county that we know of so far. But because Buncombe County has a nearly 90% white population, it has a “relatively low” National Risk Index score, which could help explain why the agency’s aid hasn’t arrived in a timely manner.
FEMA also claims it has not allocated any money to illegal aliens over American citizens. FEMA’s “fact-check” page states: “Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.”
But this claim is a dodge at best. It does not address the main concern; namely, that this administration has granted over $1 billion to organizations that provide illegal aliens with transportation and housing services, instead of using that money for disaster relief. FEMA’s effort to sidestep the truth by citing a technicality—the fact that disaster relief and illegal alien services grants are separate funds—is shameful. Americans deserve better.
The simple truth is that FEMA’s spending reflects its DEI agenda. FEMA spent $1 billion on illegal alien services instead of disaster relief resources that could have mitigated the deadly impact of recent hurricanes.
In 2023, Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which allocated $350 million for humanitarian aid through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian. The administration then diverted resources and authority from agencies responsible for combating illegal immigration, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2023 directed CBP to transfer $800 million of its fiscal year 2023 funds to finance FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian, which was rebranded as the Shelter Services Program. In fiscal year 2024, FEMA’s Shelter Services Program used $650 million to support the transportation and housing of illegal aliens within the country through nongovernmental organizations.
Where is the money actually going? The Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian/Shelter Services Program distributes funds to organizations assisting illegal aliens encountered by the Border Patrol, covering expenses such as hotel lodging for aliens.
The Biden-Harris administration specifically requested congressional funding for Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian, despite previous administrations supporting its dissolution or recommending that budget authority be transferred from FEMA to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
While illegal aliens profit from this system, Americans are suffering, and not just from recent hurricanes. For example, this administration allocated more FEMA funds to illegal aliens than to recovery efforts in Maui, Hawaii, after last year’s wildfire disaster.
The White House bragged about sending $330 million in federal grants and disaster loans to Maui to help the island recover from a series of devastating wildfires. However, those fires killed at least 100 people and caused an estimated $14 billion to $16 billion in damages, according to AccuWeather.
In contrast, Biden and Harris allocated more than $1 billion to illegal aliens in fiscal years 2023-2024 alone, revealing the administration’s priorities.
At every turn, Biden and Harris have used FEMA to facilitate mass illegal migration rather than preparing the agency to fulfill its intended mission of disaster response.
None of this should come as a surprise. FEMA’s strategic plan reflects the DEI agenda that Biden and Harris have made a core pillar of their administration.
The agency’s top goal, “Equity as a Foundation of Emergency Management,” has benefited illegal aliens entering our country more than American citizens suffering from historic natural disasters.
Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.
Brandy Perez is a research assistant in The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center.
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