Although Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emergency preparedness grants (Emergency Management Performance Grants) have always been distributed to states based on U.S. Census population figures, last week states were notified that they cannot access those funds until they adjust their population counts to reflect this year’s deportations of illegal aliens.

States were notified last Tuesday, September 30, that they must submit certification of their population as of that date. They must include their methodology and confirm that individuals deported by the United States are not included in that population count.

Keep in mind that the taking of a census is a function and responsibility of the federal government and states are not set up to conduct population counts. Funds will not be released to states until FEMA has reviewed and approved the methodology used and the population certification.

The opening paragraph on FEMA’s website last Friday (https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/emergency-management-performance), which could not be updated to reflect the new policy due to the federal government shutdown, stated the following:

“The Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) provides state, local, tribal and territorial emergency management agencies with the resources required for implementation of the National Preparedness System and works toward the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient nation. The EMPG’s allowable costs support efforts to build and sustain core capabilities across the prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery mission areas.”

This new policy flies in the face of the purpose and objectives of the EMPG.

This new policy applies to all states but, reading between the lines, it is particularly aimed at states like North Carolina that have Democrat governors for those states are more likely to have so-called “sanctuary cities.”

However, North Carolina is growing in population and my hunch is that even after undocumented immigrants who have been deported are removed from the 2020 U.S. Census tally, North Carolina will be able to prove a net growth in population. In that case, this new Trump Administration policy just might backfire.

FEMA has not issued any guidelines telling states how these unprecedented state-conducted censuses are to be conducted or reported, which means the states are left to guess at how to go about this.

It leaves FEMA free to arbitrarily deny methodology used or to challenge population figures submitted. That is a probability coming from an administration that is accountable to no one.

Any administration that repeatedly withholds funds that were approved by the U.S. Congress cannot be trusted to ever release funds to Democrat-led states since we have been labeled “the enemy within.”

Janet