Hurricane Maria evacuees granted 20-day extension in FEMA shelters


Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria can stay another 20 days in the mainland's temporary shelters.
A federal judge decided Tuesday to extend FEMA's Temporary Shelter Assistance program, allowing about 1,700 evacuees to stay in mainland hotels until July 23, NBC News reports. The official extension comes three days after the program's original end date, when another judge blocked FEMA from sending overdue beneficiaries home until Wednesday.
Hurricane Maria wiped out Puerto Rico in September, leaving millions without electricity and thousands displaced to the continental U.S. The island was in a recession when the hurricane hit, and much of the island is still without power. So evacuees don't have the means to restore homes they've lost if they're sent back to Puerto Rico.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That's why civil rights group LatinoJustice PRLDEF filed a lawsuit Saturday demanding FEMA continue shelter assistance, per NBC. The activist group claims U.S. government agencies haven't done enough to help displaced Puerto Ricans rebuild, and the judge in Tuesday's decision ruled in LatinoJustice's favor. FEMA-funded hotel stays will last through July 23, and a formal hearing later this summer will decide if the program can be extended further.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 10, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and more
-
5 streetwise cartoons about defunding PBS
Cartoons Artists take on immigrant puppets, defense spending, and more
-
Dark chocolate macadamia cookies recipe
The Week Recommends These one-bowl cookies will melt in your mouth
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star program
speed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protections
Speed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central US
Speed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean