'Don’t have a smidgen of hope': Noem to divert FEMA money as flood victims struggle

The New Republic reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem intends to use FEMA funds to build a new detention center in Florida.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier revealed his approval of plans for funding the facility, called “Alligator Alcatraz” with federal money last week. He said on Fox News that the hostile Florida Everglades would act to deter escape from the 39-square-mile site.

“You don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter. People get out, there’s not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide,” said Uthmeier.

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Despite proposed saving from the facility's isolation, The New York Times reports it will cost $450 million every year to operate the center, and Noem posted on X that this will be funded “in large part … by FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program.”

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed to deliver cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens,” Noem’s claimed. “We will expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida.”

Congress established FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program in 2023 to help state and local governments provide services to immigrants seeking legal processing through the Department of Human Services.

While the Trump administration prepares to funnel FEMA resources to immigration, U.S. flood victims, like Kentucky resident Brad Carroll, tell reporters they are still waiting for FEMA to dispense aid for flood damage back in April.

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“I don't have a smidgen of hope anymore,” Carroll told reporters last week, adding that flooding from a nearby river had left him drowning in bureaucracy while he navigates FEMA’s application process.

FEMA reportedly approved assistance for flood victims last month, but Carroll said he has yet to receive assistance after multiple inspections and assessments.

Read the full New Republic report at this link.