© Getty Images
"Effective immediately, FEMA is terminating the employment of four individuals for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants," DHS officials said in a statement obtained by The Post.
The firings, first reported by Fox, include FEMA's Chief Financial Officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist.
"Under President Trump and Secretary Noem's leadership, DHS will not sit idly and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people," the statement added.
The massive payment was blasted by Elon Musk, whose new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, highlighted the transaction on Monday.
"That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high-end hotels for illegals," Musk posted on X on Monday — and promised DOGE would be making "a clawback demand ... to recoup those funds."
Cameron Hamilton, FEMA's acting administrator, said in response that FEMA had suspended payments sent to New York City to house migrants beginning on Monday.
New York City Hall officials have said they have not been notified of any pause in funding and that no one has contacted them regarding Musk's clawback demand.
Officials also denied Musk's assertions that the cash went to luxury hotels without specifically naming the billionaire.
Only $19 million of the $59 million that the Tesla CEO highlighted in his tweet will go toward housing migrants in hotels, officials said.
"We have already spent over $7 billion on this crisis alone, and the previous administration committed only $237 million in funding to help house the migrants in our care and for future services," the City Hall statement reads.
© Associated PressMigrants queue to enter the shelter on Randall’s Island, April 9, 2024, in New York.
Many of Musk's claims couldn't immediately be confirmed as neither he nor Hamilton revealed additional details about the money.
His remarks were likely referring to payments made by FEMA's Shelter and Services Program, which reimburses municipalities and organizations for migrant-related expenses.
The money is authorized and funded by Congress and is separate from the disaster relief fund, which is FEMA's main funding stream to help people and governments affected by disasters.
In 2024, the DHS — which oversees FEMA — directed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to transfer $650 million of its FY2024 appropriation to FEMA for the Shelter and Services Program, according to the Congressional Research Service. CBP is also a part of the DHS.
Trisha McLaughlin, a spokesman for the DHS, declined to answer questions about the payments, but pointed to recent statements by Secretary Kristi Noem.
"As Secretary Noem said yesterday, we must get rid of FEMA the way it exists today," she said.
President Trump appeared to celebrate DOGE's work on Tuesday morning.
"DOGE: BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE BRING (sic) FOUND. CAMPAIGN PROMISE. IMPORTANT FOR AMERICA!!!" the president posted on his Truth Social platform.
America is a beautiful country! ..... for thieves.