In a bold move, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is gearing up to sue the Trump administration. The lawsuit comes after FEMA secretly clawed back more than $80 million in migrant shelter funding from the city’s budget.
Legal battle looming
Mayor Adams is pushing forward with plans to file a lawsuit by February 21, 2025. The city’s Law Department is currently preparing the necessary legal paperwork to reclaim the $80.5 million taken by federal authorities earlier this week.
The letter detailing these plans was sent by Mureil Goode-Trufant, the city’s corporation counsel. It emphasizes that there’s no need for the Comptroller’s Office to hire external legal counsel, as the Law Department is fully handling the case.
Tensions rise over FEMA’s sudden move
This action by the Trump administration came as a complete surprise to Mayor Adams. FEMA’s decision to claw back the funds was only revealed the day after it happened, with the news breaking on Wednesday morning. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander wasted no time in expressing his outrage, accusing both Trump and Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), of “highway robbery.”
Lander is also pushing for immediate legal action. In a statement, he demanded that the Adams administration either take the case to court or let him hire his own legal team to challenge Trump and Musk. Lander, who is running against Adams in the upcoming Democratic mayoral primary, expressed frustration over what he sees as a failure to stand up for New Yorkers.
Trump and Musk defend the move
The federal move to take back the FEMA funds was initially defended by both Trump and Musk. Musk claimed that the $59 million payment had been wasted on “luxury hotels” for housing migrants. He accused the city of misusing the funds meant to assist with the migrant crisis.
Trump supported Musk’s claims, stating that the city was involved in “massive fraud” with these federal funds. His remarks sparked outrage in New York City, where officials quickly pushed back against these accusations.
NYC’s response: Funds were not for luxury hotels
City officials were quick to correct Musk’s claims. They explained that only a small portion—$19 million—was allocated for hotel reimbursement costs, and that money had been approved by Congress. Furthermore, the funds were part of a broader Shelter and Services Program designed to help cities cope with the migrant crisis.
The $650 million fund approved by Congress in 2024 was specifically created to assist local governments, like New York City, with the enormous costs of providing shelter to migrants arriving through the US-Mexico border. New York City received two separate grants under the Biden administration to help cover these costs: one for $58.6 million and another for $21.9 million.
What’s at stake for New York City?
The FEMA funding was crucial for New York City to handle the ongoing migrant crisis, which has cost the city an estimated $7 billion. The grants were specifically intended to cover expenses like hotel stays, food, security, and other services for migrants.
City officials emphasized that most of the hotels used to house migrants are not luxury accommodations. Instead, the funds were meant to help with the necessary services for those in need, including the $12.50 per night reimbursement for each hotel room.
Adams faces political pressure
Until recently, it was unclear whether Mayor Adams would take legal action against the Trump administration. However, the letter sent to Comptroller Lander confirmed that the lawsuit is moving forward.
This situation comes on the heels of the Department of Justice’s decision to drop its federal corruption case against the mayor. Allies of Adams fear that this move could leave him vulnerable to political manipulation, particularly by the incoming president.
As the legal clock ticks down, all eyes are on Mayor Adams and the Trump administration. The lawsuit over the FEMA funds could become a key political battle in the coming weeks, with both sides digging in for a lengthy fight.
In the meantime, New Yorkers are left to wonder how this drama will unfold and what it means for the city’s response to the migrant crisis.
