Fact Check: https://www.dailywire.com/news/musks-says-fema-spent-6...

1. Summary of the results

The claim about FEMA spending $60M on "luxury hotels" for migrants last week contains several significant inaccuracies. The actual facts show that:

The $81 million in payments were spread over a much longer period (November 2023 to October 2024), not just one week ^[1]
The average hotel cost was $152 per night, which does not qualify as "luxury" rates ^[2]
The funding comes from the Shelter and Services Program, specifically authorized by Congress in 2019 for immigration-related expenses, not from disaster relief funds ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original claim:

The program providing these funds was specifically authorized by Congress in 2019 to help local governments manage migrant housing costs ^[2]
FEMA has explicitly stated that no disaster relief funds have been diverted to immigration-related programs ^[3]
While Musk and FEMA's acting administrator Cameron Hamilton claimed to be suspending payments, New York City spokesperson Liz Garcia confirmed they were still receiving reimbursements ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement appears to contain several deliberate mischaracterizations:

The claim appears to originate from false statements by former President Trump, which FEMA has directly refuted ^[3]
The framing of regular hotel rates ($152/night) as "luxury" accommodations seems designed to provoke emotional responses ^[1]
The statement conflates separate funding programs, incorrectly suggesting that disaster relief money is being diverted to immigration services ^[2]

Those who benefit from this narrative include:

Political figures who use immigration as a wedge issue
Social media influencers like Elon Musk who gain engagement from controversial statements
Media outlets that benefit from increased traffic due to inflammatory headlines about government spending

Past Checks