New York City Mayor Eric Adams is scheduled to meet with the border czar as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) withdraws funding intended for housing migrants in New York City.

This occurs as he prepares for a meeting on Thursday with Border czar Tom Homan to discuss the removal of migrants from New York City.

On Wednesday, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander stated that the Trump administration “unlawfully cancelled” $80 million in FEMA funds from the city’s accounts.

Last week, the city received a check from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program, which Congress approved in 2023.

But Lander said that his office found the funds had vanished.

“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. This is money that the federal government previously disbursed for shelter and services and is now missing.,” Lander said.

The mayor’s office has indicated that they have requested an emergency meeting with FEMA to clarify the apparent misunderstanding, while the Corporation Counsel is already looking into potential litigation options.

The mayor has also planned to address the $80 million reduction in FEMA funding during his Thursday meeting with Homan.

Lander has urged Mayor Adams to take legal action. “New York City cannot remain passive in this situation. I urge the mayor to swiftly pursue legal measures to recover the tens of millions of dollars taken by Trump and DOGE,” Lander stated.

FEMA’s acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton, stated in court documents filed on Tuesday that the Republican administration withdrew funding from the Shelter and Services Program due to concerns that the funds were “facilitating illegal activities” at a Manhattan hotel designated for housing migrants.

In 2023, New York began leasing the Roosevelt Hotel as an intake centre for homeless migrants seeking city services, following its closure in the fall of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

City law mandates that New York must provide shelter to anyone in need, and at that time, the regular homeless shelter system was overwhelmed with new arrivals. The hotel now functions as a location for migrants to apply for services and serves as a temporary shelter for hundreds of families, who are allowed to stay for only 60 days.

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Hamilton noted that the federal government has the authority to suspend or terminate payments if recipients fail to meet the program’s requirements. He mentioned that FEMA is reaching out to New York for more information to ensure that federal funds are not used for illegal purposes.

The Shelter and Services Program, funded by Congress and managed by FEMA, has become a point of contention among Republicans, who inaccurately claim it diverts resources from individuals affected by hurricanes or floods.