FEMA Suspends Emergency Preparedness Funds Until Population Counts Are Updated

More than two million illegal immigrants have been deported or self-deported since Trump’s second term began in January.

A resident enters a FEMA's improvised station to attend claims by local residents affected by floods following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Marion, N.C., on Oct. 5, 2024. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on Oct. 3 that it stopped distributing emergency preparedness funds to states until they update their populations in the wake of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Called emergency management performance grants, these funds “assist state, local, tribal and territorial emergency management agencies to implement the National Preparedness System and the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient nation,” according to FEMA’s website. Nearly $320 million was allocated to them for fiscal year 2025, with priorities being extreme weather resilience and readiness.