According to a budget document obtained by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), there was a transfer of nearly $10 million from FEMA, to support ICE detention centers. ” Dept. of Homeland Security requested $9.8M out of FEMA budget to fund ICE detention and deportation programs for immigrants, according to a document obtained by Sen. Jeff Merkley.” – MSNBC tweeted September 12, 2018. FEMA was not the only agency money was taken from, the Trump Administration also shifted money away from the TSA and the U.S Coast Guard in order to boosts ICE’s budget. The money was requested to pay for “more detention beds” and “ICE’s transportation and removal program.”

The money was obtained sometime during July, right before hurricane season was to begin. Merkley is calling this situation a scandal, “At the start of hurricane season  — when American citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are still suffering from FEMA’s inadequate recovery efforts — the administration transferred millions of dollars away from FEMA. And for what? To implement their profoundly misguided ‘zero-tolerance’ policy. It wasn’t enough to rip thousands of children out of the arms of their parents — the administration chose to partly pay for this horrific program by taking away from the ability to respond to damage from this year’s upcoming and potentially devastating hurricane season.”

A spokesman from the Department of Homeland Security is assuring everyone that not a single penny that was transferred to ICE was not from disaster relief funding. “Under no circumstances was any disaster relief funding transferred from @fema to immigration enforcement efforts, this is a sorry attempt to push a false agenda at a time when the administration is focused on assisting millions on the East Coast facing a catastrophic disaster.”

With hurricane Florence’s heavy winds and rains pounding the Atlantic Coast, there is an increased risk of life-threatening impacts from Florence, damaging winds and possible flash floods are prominent with the category 4 storm that could possibly reach a category 5. Trump pledged to the people Tuesday, September 11th, 2018, that ” we are sparing no expense,” in preparing for hurricane Florence.