Did the United States government pay “luxury hotels” for immigrants as Elon Musk says? This is what is known

According to the Associated Press (AP) agency, Musk He affirmed that his team “discovered that FEMA sent 59 million dollars last week to luxury hotels in New York to house illegal immigrants. ” For then, Trump was already in power.

Besides, Musk described the payment as a “Violation of the law” y “flagrant insubordination”To the executive order of the Trump president. He said the funds would be recovered immediately.

Musk He did not provide documentary payment evidence. Nor demonstrated whether Hotels They would have received the money were luxurious.

For its part, Cameron Hamiltoninterim administrator of FEMAshared on social networks the comments of Musk and confirmed that Payments were suspended since the previous Sunday.

Then, the National Security Department (DHS)entity on which it depends FEMAreported in a statement that The agency “fired four people for avoiding the address and unilaterally carrying atrocious payments to Immigrants to stay in New York luxury hotels. ”

The layoffs include the agency’s financial director, two programs analysts and a subsidy specialist, the DHS added.

“The DHS will not remain with a crossed -law and will allow the deep state activists to undermine the will and security of the US people,” the department warned.

Did luxury hotels pay for undocumented immigrants?

During the campaign for the November elections last year, Trump and his team constantly repeated that undocumented immigrants were being housed in luxury hotels in New York They were paid with federal funds.

The AP agency had access to official information from New York where it is indicated that the money he received to serve the Immigrants He was consigned by Congress and assigned to the city last year by FEMA.

“The city has never paid luxury rates for hotels”He told the AP Liz García, spokesman for the New York Mayor’s office, Eric Adams.

According to AP, The vast majority of hotels where immigrants are staying are out of Manhattan. He adds that the Government has paid an average of $ 152 per night, according to a report from the Comptroller of the City of 2024. This rate is much lower than that charged by five -star hotels in Manhattanranging from 400 to more than $ 1,000 per night.

AP said that the funds for the payment of the hotels were sent through the REFUGE AND SERVICES PROGRAMwhich reimburses cities, towns or organizations for expenses related to the immigration.

Money comes from Congress And it goes to Customs and border protectionwhich is also part of the National Security Department, but the Fema manages payments.

So, it is not that Fema is deviating money assigned for catastrophes to cover expenses that have to do with migrants, as Republicans report.

Former officials of National security They told the CNN chain that, in general, the cities identify the accommodation and subsequently present it for reimbursement.

“There are a whole series of protections around it to ensure that it is administered according to the law,” said a former DHS official.

According to FEMA, in fiscal year 2024 the Congress allocated US $ 650 million to REFUGE AND SERVICES PROGRAM.

Fema in Trump’s sights

He REFUGE AND SERVICES PROGRAM He was born in 2019, due to Increase in the number of immigrant income by the border with Mexico. Then, the Congress authorized the Federal Government to reimburse some of the costs that cities and states assumed.

This is because immigrants cross the border, they are often released in United StatesS Because the federal government does not have enough space to keep everyone stopped, AP explained. Then, Food and accommodation expenses fall on local and state governments, as well as in non -profit organizations.

The complaint of Musk It occurs while Trump’s administration seeks to dissolve FEMA and order that the money destined for disasters is delivered directly to the states.

Last month, during a visit to North Carolina to verify the damage caused by floods, Trump proposed to eliminate femawhich he has criticized for bureaucratic and slow in his rescue responses.

While the Secretary of the Department of National Security, Kristi callsCNN declared on Sunday that he would support the suppression of “FEMA as exists today” if the president asked.