New York City officials are accusing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of "highway robbery" after she ordered an illegal payment of $59 million targeted for illegal immigrant housing in posh hotels clawed back. [Disclaimer: this article is from Politico, so it is quite possibly funded by funds from some government; see Let's Untangle the Inappropriate Financial Deals Between the Federal Gov't., Politico, and Other Outlets – RedState.]

Top New York City officials are hitting back against the seizure of $80 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander blasting the revocation as “illegal.”

“President Trump and his crony Elon Musk illegally executed a revocation of $80 million in congressionally-appropriated FEMA funding from New York City’s bank accounts,” Lander said in a statement. “This highway robbery of our funds directly out of our bank account is a betrayal of everyone who calls New York City home.”

The story begins with Elon Musk's DOGE team discovering an unauthorized transfer of funds to pay for illegal immigrant housing; Elon Musk's Team Catches FEMA Bureaucrats in Mutiny Against Trump – RedState. Even though the money was legally appropriated for that purpose — Musk was wrong about it being from the disaster relief fund — Trump had ordered a freeze on payments. The employees involved, one senior executive and three mid-grade employees, were fired; NEW: Trump Drops the Hammer on FEMA Employees Who Violated His EO and Paid $59M to Illegals in NYC – RedState. Then Secretary Noem proceeded to bring home the bacon, or rather, the pork; see Kristi Noem Gives NYC Hotels the 'Cricket' Treatment Over FEMA's $59 Million Mutiny Payment – RedState.

NYC's whining that the money was taken from their bank account sorta makes you wonder how the City Comptroller ever got his job without understanding the basics of wire transfers.

He added that he couldn’t identify which bank held the money, or how the federal government could withdraw the funds, saying it is “terrifying” the government has the access to seize the funds.

Now, they are wondering how to make up the shortfall.

The seizure of funds could result in cuts to city services.

“We can’t recover money we already spent on shelter and services for asylum seekers, so it would require cutting $80 million of some other city expenses,” Lander said.

Add that to the lawsuit Pam Bondi announced Wednesday (see BREAKING: AG Pam Bondi Files 'Charges' Against State of NY, Gov. Hochul Over Illegal Aliens), and it should be very obvious to even the most hardened progressive that a new day has dawned and that day will be very different from yesterday.