New York City Mayor Eric Adams has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump and other individuals in his administration seeking to recover $80.5 million the federal government withdrew from a city bank account without permission.
The funds were originally approved by Congress and earmarked for immigrant services, Politico report. However, the money was clawed back by the Trump administration on February 11, the day after Elon Musk criticized the funding on social media. However, the funds came from a DHS program meant to reimburse local governments for non-citizen immigrant services, not disaster relief. The money was used for lodging at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan at a FEMA-approved rate, not for luxury accommodations.
Despite Musk’s misleading claims, the Trump administration fired four FEMA officials responsible for the payment. NYC alleges that the Trump administration violated federal laws, grant terms, and regulations in reversing the transfer. The city is asking for the money to be restored and for the administration to be prevented from similar actions in the future. This legal action marks a rare instance of public opposition to Trump from Adams, who had previously avoided criticizing the president.