The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has halted payments owed to service providers that aid migrants, alleging potential involvement in illegal activities.
In a recent development, the Trump administration has leveled accusations against various state agencies and non-profit organizations, suggesting that their provision of food and shelter to migrants constitutes smuggling or harboring. This assertion is made despite the fact that these services were financed through federal programs, and the individuals receiving assistance had already undergone processing and been released by immigration authorities.
The administration’s actions include the withholding of funds due to service providers who have incurred expenses upfront to assist vulnerable families newly arrived in the United States, operating under the customary expectation of reimbursement from federal sources.
The Shelter and Services Program (SSP), managed by FEMA, was specifically designed to offer financial support to organizations facing challenges in accommodating migrants and asylum seekers released from federal custody. However, in a troubling letter sent recently to recipients of SSP funding, the administration indicated that further payments would be suspended due to “significant concerns” regarding the potential use of federal funds to support entities allegedly “engaged in or facilitating illegal activities,” hinting at serious offenses such as the transportation of undocumented immigrants.
Cameron Hamilton, the then-interim FEMA administrator who has since been dismissed, did not provide evidence to substantiate these broad claims. In his communication, he instructed SSP grantees to supply names, contact details, and relevant documentation for the migrants they had assisted by mid-April, warning that they would need to confirm they had no knowledge of any immigration-related crimes committed by their staff or contractors.
Melony Samuels, CEO of the Campaign Against Hunger in New York, expressed disbelief at the situation, stating that the letter’s implications painted her organization as complicit in criminal activity while merely fulfilling its mission to provide food assistance. Her organization had received an SSP grant allocation nearing $512,000 for fiscal year 2024 but had not actively pursued it.
When New York City experienced a significant uptick in migrant arrivals—prompted in part by Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s politically motivated actions—the Biden administration enlisted the Campaign Against Hunger to distribute food to newcomers. The organization was already serving thousands of families weekly, including migrants, and expanded its efforts to meet this heightened demand.
Samuels is among numerous recipients of FEMA’s threatening correspondence; however, many other organizations and local governments have opted not to comment as they navigate what they perceive as an intimidating atmosphere surrounding their humanitarian work.
The Campaign Against Hunger has invested several hundred thousand dollars in food supplies with expectations of reimbursement through the SSP fund. This situation contributes to a broader trend of $1.3 million in rescinded or frozen grants affecting their budget due to cuts initiated by the Trump administration, leading to reduced services and growing concern over food insecurity.
“We lack sufficient resources. We are running low on food supplies. My team has approached me with urgent questions about our next steps,” stated Samuels. “The need for assistance has not diminished; if anything, it has intensified amid recent layoffs and other economic challenges.”
Similar to the Campaign Against Hunger, many SSP grantees serve diverse populations beyond just migrants, providing essential services like food and shelter. Consequently, the government’s decision to withhold reimbursements for previously incurred costs poses risks not only to non-citizens but also to American citizens reliant on these services.
“To fulfill the obligations of a federally contracted service and subsequently be accused of criminal behavior is both frivolous and unfounded—an instance of targeted harassment,” remarked Kristin Etter, director of policy and legal services at the Texas Immigration Law Council.
The letter from FEMA appears to mirror tactics employed by Texas’s Republican leadership, which has attempted over recent years to implicate various organizations serving immigrants in potential legal infractions while pressuring others to cease their operations.
For example, a court filing from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested that non-profits could inadvertently become “silent partners in cartel trafficking operations” unless efforts were made to shut down an organization that has historically assisted migrants without issue, alleging it was “operating a stash house” and “harboring” non-citizens.
“We are witnessing a replication of this strategy at the federal level,” asserted Etter.
This approach is not limited solely to organizations supporting migrants; similar accusations have also been directed at environmental groups receiving grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which has alleged potential “conspiracy to defraud the United States” and requested Citibank freeze their bank accounts.
Currently, FEMA has terminated SSP grants, asserting that using these funds to assist undocumented immigrants—including asylum seekers awaiting court proceedings—does not align with the Department of Homeland Security’s current priorities. Reports indicate that FEMA is contemplating reallocating leftover program funds towards immigration enforcement activities.
