McAleenan says transfer of funds from FEMA won’t impact Dorian response

by Regina Zilbermints - 09/01/19 9:40 AM ET

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan on Sunday said that shifting funds from agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not impact FEMA’s ability to respond to Hurricane Dorian.

“I want to emphasize that no money has been moved yet,” McAleenan said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“Any potential transfers will not impact our ability to respond to this storm or other storms this hurricane season,” he added.

{mosads}The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it would reprogram $271 million to expand its immigration detention capacity and to fund a program to return Central American migrants to Mexico while they await court hearings in the U.S. FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund stands to lose money in the transfer, and Democrats have ripped the Trump administration for announcing the move during hurricane season.

“No money has been moved yet. We have to do a notification to Congress in advance,” acting DHS Sec. McAleenan says about transferring some FEMA funds to ICE. “Any potential transfers will not impact our ability to respond to this storm or any other storms” https://t.co/Odl0AJxnzP pic.twitter.com/drPDNvcb7O

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) September 1, 2019

McAleenan’s comments came shortly after Dorian strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane as it approached the Bahamas.

He urged those living in areas that could be affected by Dorian to listen to orders from state and local emergency managers and be prepared for what could be a prolonged storm event.

McAleenan also knocked Congress, which he said “didn’t see fit to provide that funding” for immigration enforcement, forcing DHS to look at other sources.

Tags Dorian Hurricane Dorian Sunday shows