Where’s the migrant cash?
Only 3rd of $150M arrived; feds say it’s up to city to grab rest
The federal government earmarked more than $150 million in aid related to the migrant crisis for New York City last year, but Mayor Adams’ administration has secured just $49 million of that lump sum to date, according to City Hall’s budget chief.
Jacques Jiha, the director of Adams’ Office of Management and Budget, disclosed the paltry amount the city has received so far during a marathon City Council hearing on Monday.
Asked why the city hasn’t received the full $156 million it was allocated, Jiha told Council members: “The [application] requirements are so stringent … but we’re working on it. We’re trying to collect the remaining $107 million.”
An official in President Biden’s administration told the Daily News later Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has for months provided the mayor’s team with “extensive technical assistance” to help the city access the full aid allocation.
The official said that included dispatching a FEMA team to the city just last week to help walk Adams administration officials through the application process.
“Unfortunately, they have not stepped up to the plate,” said the Biden administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to be candid. “There really isn’t a federal government problem here. They just haven’t submitted the documentation to unlock the funds.”
Asked about the Biden official’s comments, an Adams spokeswoman said the mayor’s administration hasn’t missed any deadlines and is working with federal stakeholders on expediting the release of the remainder of the available funds.
The $156 million set aside for the city is part of an $800 million program administered by the FEMA.
The program, established as part of budget negotiations in Congress last year, is designed to help alleviate costs incurred by municipalities across the U.S. that are seeing large influxes of mostly Latin American migrants.
The Biden administration official said multiple other U.S. cities have managed to unlock the full amount of their migrant aid allocations, including Chicago, which received about $32 million.
The FEMA initiative is based on a reimbursement model, meaning municipalities can apply to get costs covered after they’re incurred. Expenses eligible for reimbursement under the program include costs related to providing shelter, food, transportation, health care and other supportive services for newly arrived migrants, according to FEMA.
Ultimately, the FEMA cash is a drop in the bucket compared to the total amount of money spent by New York City on the migrant crisis. As of the end of last month, the Adams administration has shelled out “just over $4 billion” on housing, feeding and providing services for the tens of thousands of migrants who remain in the city’s care, Jiha said.
Since migrants first started arriving in waves in spring 2022, the mayor has lamented what he sees as a lack of financial relief from the feds.
He has drawn the ire of some fellow Democrats for publicly saying Biden isn’t doing enough to help, including declaring last year that the president had “failed” the city. The mayor has also argued Republicans in Congress share blame for blocking long-sought immigration reforms.
When asked at Monday’s Council hearing whether Gov. Hochul is doing enough to help the mayor’s administration, Jiha deadpanned: “No.”
“We should be getting at a minimum a 50-50 share,” he added, referring to the mayor’s request for the governor’s administration to pick up half of the city’s migrant crisis tab.
Hochul’s executive budget unveiled last month set aside about $2.4 billion in state migrant aid for the city over the coming fiscal year, a proposal that falls short of the mayor’s 50%-50% demand.