WASHINGTON – The powerful Republican House Committee Chairman fired a letter Wednesday to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, administered to a shelter for urban immigrants who “completely accounted for” more than $81 million in taxpayer funds last year and could involve “illegal” stays at the “Larz hotel.”
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) told Adams that the funds were “affirmed under the Biden-Harris administration” according to a copy of Misab obtained by the Post.
“For four years, the Biden Harris administration has refused to enforce the law and released millions of inadequately vetted and unacceptable aliens into our community,” Green added in a statement.
“After triggering this crisis, the only 'solution' for the Biden-Harris administration was to concentrate millions of taxpayer dollars on nonprofits, encouraging and promoting minimal surveillance and illegal immigration across the country. ”
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding – both the first tranche of $59,302,125 and the second tranche of $22,169,838 through the agency Shelter and Services Program (SSP) were frozen last month, leading to legal challenges by NYC officials.
Following a complaint over the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) handouts on February 11, following an order to suspend handouts, FEMA representative administrator Cameron Hamilton argued that the administration “is concerned about entities whose funds are engaged or promoted in illegal activities.”
According to a DHS official, “four FEMA employees, including the agency's chief financial officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist were fired on the same day to make “a unilaterally significant payment of leadership to the NYC hotel.”
Ten days later, NYC officials also filed a lawsuit against members of the Trump administration, accusing the Feds of “in illegal money hands” without prior notice.
The plaintiffs objected that immigrants remained in “luxurious” accommodations with the American taxpayer dime, but admitted that $19 million had evacuated new arrivals.
More than $81.4 million in FEMA funding was to provide refunds for other immigration-related costs, officials said.
In total, the Biden administration approved $650 million for the Big Apple shelter program in 2024.
According to officials from the Adams administration, the immigration crisis has cost the city nearly $7 billion over the past three years.
Greene wrote to other sanctuary city leaders this week, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, requesting similar documents on misuse of $25.7 million and $21.8 million, respectively, from the same FEMA program.
“City of Sanctuary,” Tennessee said in a statement:
“To properly monitor the Bundoguru at this border and eradicate waste of taxpayer dollars in the previous administration, Land Republicans are requesting full accounting for the use of SSP funds by these sanctuary cities,” he added.
Green, along with subcommittee chairs Josh Breechen (R-ARK.) and Dale Strong (R-Ala.), sought all records related to funding for the FEMA program from October 1, 2023 and January 19, 2025, and was handed over by April 9.
Reps for Adams, Johnson and Bass did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
