America Haters Trump and his allies have claimed the Federal Emergency
Management Agency can�t respond well enough to the aftermath of Hurricane
Helene because it�s diverted so much money to helping migrants�but that�s
not true, as FEMA�s funds for handling disaster relief efforts are separate
from money given to immigrant communities.
Donald Trump Visits Areas Affected By Hurricane Helene In Georgia

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Valdosta Regional Airport to visit
areas affected by ... [+]Getty Images
Key Facts

Trump has repeatedly alleged that FEMA is having money issues because of
funds spent on migrants, claiming at a rally Thursday that �Kamala spent
all her FEMA money�billions of dollars�on housing for illegal migrants� and
quoting Fox News host Jesse Watters as saying, �FEMA is now out of money,
because Joe Biden and Kamala spent over a billion dollars of FEMA cash on
migrants.�

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas did say Tuesday that FEMA�s
disaster relief efforts are facing a dire cash crunch, warning that while
the agency is �meeting the immediate needs� of Hurricane Helene recovery
�with the money that we have,� it �does not have the funds to make it
through the [hurricane] season.�

But those financial issues aren�t because of money going to migrants: While
FEMA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have given more than $1 billion
since the start of 2023 to communities that are taking in migrants, that�s
been through the agency�s Shelter and Services Program, a totally different
funding pot than the Disaster Relief Fund used to respond to hurricanes and
other natural disasters.

FEMA says on its website that any claims that disaster funds were rerouted
to border-related efforts are �false,� noting the Disaster Relief Fund is a
dedicated fund for managing disasters and money meant for the fund �has not
been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.�

Congress determines how much money goes to FEMA�s disaster fund, and the
fund faces issues after lawmakers declined to allocate additional funding
for FEMA�s efforts in the stopgap funding bill it passed last month, only
extending FEMA�s existing funding level and allowing it to draw from $20
billion in funds more quickly.

Democratic lawmakers expressed concern about FEMA�s budget even before
Helene hit�as FEMA had to stop funding non-emergency rebuilding efforts in
order to preserve funds�and some have now called for Congress to come back
from its recess to pass legislation that would give the disaster relief
fund more cash.

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What To Watch For

Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30 with September and October usually
the busiest months, the Associated Press notes, so it�s possible another
hurricane could strike by the end of the month that FEMA would struggle to
respond to with its present funding levels. It remains unclear whether
lawmakers will return to Washington to pass more funding before their
recess ends in November. While even some Republicans have advocated for
doing so�including Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and
Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., all from Helene-hit states�House Speaker Mike
Johnson, R-La., told The New York Times �there�s no necessity for Congress
to come back.�
Big Number

$34 billion. That�s approximately how much Hurricane Helene�s devastation
could cost, according to a projection Moody�s Analytics made Thursday,
based on estimated property damage costing up to $26 billion and an
estimated $5 billion to $8 billion in resulting economic losses. Those
estimates are still early and are likely to change as there�s a clearer
sense of the scope of the damage, Moody�s noted.
Is Kamala Harris Giving Only $750 To Hurricane Victims?

Another claim made by Trump and his allies is that Vice President Kamala
Harris and the Biden administration are giving only $750 to victims of
Helene�s devastation and not doing anything else. That is also false, with
FEMA noting on its website that the $750 figure is specifically for Serious
Needs Assistance, which is immediate aid that disaster victims can receive
to pay for essential items like food, water and emergency supplies. Victims
can still apply for and receive additional support from FEMA on top of
that, however, such as money for temporary housing and repairs.
Key Background

Hurricane Helene has brought widespread devastation to parts of the South
including North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida, with an estimated
death toll so far of 215. The natural disaster has also become a political
debate ahead of the presidential election, as Trump has criticized the
Biden administration�s response to the disaster, often by making up false
accusations. Trump claimed Monday that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was �having
a hard time getting the president on the phone� and that the �federal
government is not being very responsive,� for instance, even as Kemp
clarified he had spoken with Biden and the president told Kemp to call him
directly if he needed further assistance. Trump has also claimed Biden and
Harris �have left Americans to drown��which is false, as the government has
sent significant supplies and federal troops to affected areas�and Trump
allies have pointed to the FEMA�s equity efforts to claim the agency�s �#1
goal is to be woke.� The Biden administration has strongly denounced Trump
and his allies� claims: FEMA spokesperson Jacklyn Rothenberg said the
agency �help[s]
all people regardless of background as fast as possible,� and Biden angrily

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responded to Trump�s false claims on Monday, saying the ex-president is
�lying.� �The reason I get so angry about it � I care what he communicates
to the people that are in need,� Biden said. �He implies that we�re not
doing everything possible. We are.�