In some ways, the saga dates again to 2022, when Mr. Adams started clamoring for monetary help from Washington to assist cowl the prices of feeding and housing thousands of migrants exhibiting up within the metropolis from the southern border of america.
Congress, beneath former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., appropriated $237 million to town, a small quantity in contrast with the greater than $7 billion town says it has spent on the disaster. The migrant-support cash was allotted mainly by means of the Shelter and Providers Program, an initiative administered by FEMA that was created by Congress to pay localities and teams offering providers to individuals who had not too long ago crossed the border. Recipients have included cities and counties, like San Diego and Chicago, and church buildings and meals banks in Texas, Arizona and elsewhere.
New York Metropolis started making use of for and receiving that cash final 12 months to cowl prices it had already incurred, together with for funds to resorts transformed into shelters and for meals and safety. On Feb. 4, two weeks after Mr. Trump’s inauguration, FEMA deposited an installment of the appropriated funds, about $80.5 million, right into a Citibank account belonging to town.
Then Mr. Musk entered the fray.
He singled out the switch on a put up on X the next week, claiming that it was illegal and undermined a Trump govt order, although he didn’t specify which regulation or order. He additionally claimed that the cash was supposed for catastrophe aid, despite the fact that shelter reimbursements stemmed from a separate funding stream.
The fallout, like Mr. Trump’s second time period, was dizzying.
Mr. Musk’s put up shortly stoked outrage amongst conservatives over using taxpayer {dollars} on migrants. The next day, the Trump administration fired 4 FEMA officers, together with the company’s chief monetary officer. And the day after that, on Feb. 12, town’s accountants made a stunning discovery after they checked their ledgers that morning: The cash had disappeared in a single day.