New York City filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday after the feds clawed back more than $80 million in funding for migrant housing.
The suit, NYC v Trump, names President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, among the list of defendants.
"On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 4:03 pm, the long arm of the federal government reached into a central bank account of the City of New York (the "City") and grabbed $80,481,861.42. It took these funds from the City without any advance notice that it would be doing so and without communicating any decision or rationale to the City," the suit stated.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency rescinded the monies to New York City on Feb. 11, clawing back a $59 million grant and another award for $21.5 million, City Comptroller Brad Lander said.
"I have clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels," Noem wrote on X.
FEMA's acting administrator said in court documents filed Tuesday that the money was being clawed back over concerns about "illegal activities" at a hotel.
"FEMA was funding the Roosevelt Hotel that serves as a Tren de Aragua base of operations and was used to house Laken Riley's killer. Mark my words: there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people," Noem wrote.
The office of Mayor Eric Adams vowed to file suit by Friday and hit its deadline. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.
The Department of Homeland Security last week fired four employees for sending the money to fund the hotels.
New York City spokeswoman Liz Garcia said last week that the payments covered reimbursements for November 2023 to October 2024, including hotel, security, food, and other costs. She said the city applied in April, the money was appropriated last year by Congress, and FEMA allocated it last year.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.