Malik Waqar
Elon Musk claimed on Monday that his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team discovered that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent $59 million last week to luxury hotels in New York City to house “illegal migrants.”
Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that FEMA’s use of the funds violated the law, stating the money was meant for disaster relief but was instead spent on high-end accommodations. He also announced that a demand would be made to recoup the funds.
The @DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants.
Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order.
That money is meant for American disaster relief…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2025
This revelation comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a council to review FEMA, expressing concerns over political bias within the agency.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Musk’s DOGE team had access to her department’s data as part of an audit she fully supports. Noem explained that President Trump authorized Musk’s team to access the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) network, which includes private information about disaster relief recipients.
Musk’s team, which is focused on reducing federal spending, has faced criticism for accessing sensitive data without security clearance. This has raised privacy concerns and led to multiple lawsuits. Musk has also suggested that FEMA may become a target for further scrutiny, stating that the agency is “broken.” Noem indicated that she would support changes to FEMA if instructed by the President.
