Trump Takes $80 Million from NYC in Test of Executive Powers

By Mary Alice Miller
The Trump administration’s shock and awe campaign came to New York last week when $80 million in FEMA funds allocated to shelter and provide services to migrants was removed from one of New York City’s accounts.

“This morning, my financial team shockingly uncovered that President Trump and his crony Elon Musk illegally executed a revocation of $80 million in congressionally-appropriated FEMA funding from New York City’s bank accounts late yesterday afternoon,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “This is money that the federal government previously disbursed for shelter and services and is now missing. This highway robbery of our funds directly out of our bank account is a betrayal of everyone who calls New York City home.”

Lander called on Mayor Eric Adams “to immediately pursue legal action to ensure the tens of millions of dollars stolen by Trump and DOGE are rightfully returned. If instead Mayor Adams continues to be President Trump’s pawn, my Office will request to work in partnership with the New York City Law Department to pursue aggressive legal action.”

Concurrent to clawing back millions in federal funding earmarked for migrants, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department is suing the State of New York, Kathy Hochul, Letitia James and Mark Schroder who is with DMV.

Bondi is suing New York over the state’s 2019 Green Light law which allows undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses without a social security number, instead using other forms of identification like passports or driver’s licenses from other countries.

“This is a new DoJ and we are taking steps to protect Americans. New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops today. As you know we sued Illinois, and New York didn’t listen. You’re next.

Millions of illegal aliens with violent records have flooded into our communities bringing violence and deadly drug with them. Comply with the law. This is the last thing we want to be doing. We want to be out there fighting violent crime, yet we are fighting illegal aliens. That ends, and its going to end today.”

Gov. Hochul cancelled a meeting with Trump, stating, “I do not want to go down there and give credibility to this brazen attempt to undermine our laws that were duly enacted by elected people in the State of New York undermined by the federal government.

Hochul issued a statement that said, “Our current laws allow federal immigration officials to access and DMV database without judicial warrant,” adding, “There’s no way I’m letting federal agents, or Elon Musk’s shadowy DOGE operation get unfettered access to the personal data of any New Yorker in the DMV system like 16-year-old kids learning to drive and other vulnerable people.”
“I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I have always have, “ said NYS Attorney General Letitia James.

Comptroller Lander said, “I was relieved to receive a reply from Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant this afternoon, agreeing to commence legal action, no later than one week from today. I am grateful that our urgent insistence pushed the Law Department to pursue litigation, even at this precarious moment.

I look forward to doing everything in my power to help the City recoup the FEMA funds stolen by President Trump and holding accountable those intent on working against the best interests of New Yorkers.”

Landers’ letter to the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York stated in part, “On February 12, 2025, my office, along with the New York City Department of Finance, discovered the unilateral reversal of $80 million in Shelter and Services Program (SSP) funds by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which were previously allocated to the City of New York.

We subsequently learned that these funds were debited at the direction of the Trump administration on February 11, 2025, without notice or justification, from one of the City’s accounts. This action not only jeopardizes the City’s budget, but also critically undermines the City’s ability to deliver essential services to our residents.”

In response, The Adams administration announced plans to take the Trump administration to court over the clawback of $80 million in FEMA funds designated to help New York City provide shelter and services to migrants.

The city’s corporation counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant wrote back to Landers, stating “The Law Department is currently drafting litigation papers with respect to this matter. We intend to initiate legal action by February 321, 2025.”

“I’m glad our pressure campaign finally got the Mayor to do what he should have done immediately after we uncovered the stolen $80 million from Elon Musk, which is stand up for New Yorkers and fight,” said Landers in a statement, taking credit for pressuring Mayor Adams to sue the Trump administration over the $80 million in FEMA funding.