This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . Mary Comans, the former CFO of FEMA who was fired last month for sending unauthorized payments to New York City to fund putting up migrants in hotels, has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA for unlawful termination and defamation of character. Comans argues she was improperly fired, was denied proceedings she was entitled to and was justified in making the payment that led to her dismissal. Before Comans filed her case, the City of New York sued the Trump Administration for taking the payments back as well, calling it a “money grab.” A recent report from the Associated Press indicated Comans did not send any disaster-related money to New York; rather, the funds were part of the 2023 Shelter for Services Program, which is overseen by FEMA. However, nowhere in FEMA’s mission statement or core values does it say the agency has a responsibility or duty to facilitate funds for migrants, their housing or directly house non-U.S. citizens who are not impacted by natural disasters. FEMA’s mission statement states, “FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters and our core values and goals help us achieve it.” Comans says these actions were congressionally approved, and this argument is likely to be made in Coman’s case by the defense. Earlier this year, FEMA was criticized and sued for telling its employees to determine service based on the recipient’s political affiliation during its response to Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina. A whistleblower's account detailed the organization's political intentions, similar to the argument made by the Department of Homeland Security, Musk and the Trump administration when Comans was terminated. A spokesperson with FEMA told other outlets the agency does not comment on pending litigation. FEMA was created in 1979 by an executive order from then-President Jimmy Carter to centralize and help streamline the government’s response to natural disasters. Like other organizations in the district , it has grown and expanded its duties . It became a part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 and, in 2025, the agency self-reported that it is the largest it has ever been, with more than 22,000 employees and 10 field offices across the U.S.
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