​​​​​​​ISTANBUL

The US has recovered $59 million paid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to house migrants in luxury New York City hotels, Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced Wednesday.

“I have clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels,” Noem said on X.

She criticized FEMA for funding the Roosevelt Hotel, which she claimed served as a base for the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and housed the killer of Laken Riley -- a 22-year-old nursing student killed in 2024 by Venezuelan migrant who entered the US illegally.

In January, Trump signed a law after her name, mandating the detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.

“Mark my words: there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people,” Noem added.

The announcement follows the firing of four FEMA employees on Tuesday for authorizing “egregious” payments.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had earlier alleged FEMA the $money on luxury accommodations for migrants.