Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita shared a misleading claim on X formerly Twitter about the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA not having enough funds to assist Americans through the remainder of the 2024 hurricane season due to allocating $1.4 billion to immigration. Rokita’s claim, which was based on an article from the New York Post, falsely suggests that disaster relief funds were diverted for immigration-related issues, echoing similar false claims made by former President Donald Trump.
FEMA has debunked this narrative, stating that its Disaster Relief Fund is specifically reserved for disaster response and recovery efforts, and none of this money has been diverted for other purposes. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that the agency has sufficient resources to meet immediate hurricane recovery needs, including those for victims of Hurricane Helene, and denied that funds were being rerouted.
Rokita has a history of opposing Biden administration policies, particularly regarding immigration. In May 2023, he led a coalition of 18 states in suing the Department of Homeland Security over a rule that aimed to provide lawful pathways for immigrants entering the U.S., which he argued would worsen illegal immigration. That case is still pending.