Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) celebrated the Department of Homeland Security preventing the Federal Emergency Management Agency from halting payment to support illegal immigrants, calling the move “long overdue” to stop the incentivization of sanctuary cities.

FEMA cutting payments to New York City hotels came after Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk accused the agency of sending $59 million “to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants” last week. The Washington Examiner has since been told that the four people in charge of the payment were fired. Lawler detailed how FEMA’s funds have been “misappropriated” for illegal immigrants and that the city was even giving these funds to criminal illegal immigrants.

“And so I applaud, frankly, DHS for taking action to stop these payments under President Trump’s leadership because we have incentivized cities like New York and states like New York, a sanctuary state, to allow this to continue, and it has to stop,” Lawler said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends.

Lawler also noted how New York City Mayor Eric Adams was one of the few Democratic lawmakers who spoke out against the effect of illegal immigration and that this contrasts greatly against Gov. Kathy Hochul‘s (D-NY) use of taxpayer dollars on expenditures for illegal immigrants. Lawler argued that the state of New York showcases what happens when “feckless leadership” is in charge.

“But we have to stop incentivizing states and cities like New York by spending billions and in this case from FEMA, $59 million to support their efforts to circumvent federal law,” Lawler said. “That’s really what this boils down to. States like New York are circumventing federal law, allowing illegal immigrants to get benefits and access to taxpayer money.”

DHS Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told the Washington Examiner that the four people responsible for paying New York City $59 million have been fired, as the Trump administration will not “allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people.”

BREAKING NEWS: DHS has fired the four FEMA employees responsible for paying NYC $59 million for costs related to the migrant crisis, including luxury hotel stays, calling them "deep state activists" who circumvented leadership to make the payments

DHS spokeswoman Tricia…

— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) February 11, 2025

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The DHS’s action against FEMA came as President Donald Trump has called for massive changes to be undertaken with the agency, most recently accusing it of leaving North Carolina “high and dry” after the state underwent the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was in North Carolina surveying the hurricane’s damage on Monday, promising that Trump and his administration will move “lightning quick” to provide aid to the region. 

Some of the changes that could be made with FEMA include leaving emergency relief up to individual states, a move Trump expressed interest in last month. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has voiced a similar notion for changes to be made with FEMA.