In unusual move, FEMA halts preparedness grant money, orders states to recount their populations excluding deported migrants

(CNN) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has halted the release of hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency preparedness grants, requiring states to prove their population counts before they can access the money, the agency told CNN.

The agency contends that states may be getting inflated payments because most of the money is distributed proportionately based on state population.

The funds — called Emergency Management Performance Grants — totaled more than $300 million last year and help local communities prepare for disasters by paying for emergency management staff, training, equipment and public education.

The new rule adds another layer of bureaucracy and uncertainty for states already struggling to secure previously awarded federal funding as they face a series of gran