Immigration

DHS Refuses to Disclose Data on the Release of Illegal Immigrants

Published

11 months ago

November 11, 2021

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is refusing to provide information about the total number of illegal immigrants and border crossers that have entered the United States since January when President Biden took office, according to Breitbart News. Though “limited data” was provided by the DHS in October revealing that “the agency had released ‘at least 500,000’ border crossers and illegal aliens into the U.S. interior since the beginning of the year,” they would not respond to probing questions that would reveal details on “how and where border crossers and illegal aliens are being released.”

Breitbart reports, “Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who sits on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, asking for a full accounting of every border crosser and illegal alien released into the U.S. interior since January.” The letter, sent on October 19, 2021 requested a full account of this data “as soon as possible but no later than November 2, 2021.” Johnson requested monthly updates on the data as well.

In his letter, Johnson called out Mayorkas for failing to respond to his questions “about basic information on apprehensions at the U.S. border.” One week later, Johnson received minimal data. “This year through August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has apprehended more than 1.3 million illegal aliens and is on track to set a record for the most apprehensions in a single year. Recently, more than 25,000 illegal aliens amassed under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas and reports indicate another massive surge is coming. Reportedly, 125,000 migrants are currently making their way through Central America, attempting to reach the United States.”

Johnson also raised concerns that “media reports indicate that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is not just releasing illegal aliens into border towns after CBP processing, but rather transporting illegal aliens from the border to cities within the interior of the United States. It also appears that ICE might not be properly assessing these illegal aliens before releasing them into the interior of the U.S. If true, ICE’s reported actions could threaten the safety and security of all Americans.”

Asking for information on data concerning “MS-13 gang members, criminal illegal alien deportations, the downing of drones at the border, and Catch and Release totals,” Johnson has still not received an “adequate” response from Mayorkas.

The reluctance to share this information publicly should be unsettling to Americans. According to Breitbart, “the limited data provided shows that the totals are enormously overwhelming compared to the populations of some American cities and towns.”

Immigration

IG Audit shows nonprofit wasted $17 million taxpayer dollars on hotels to not house illegal foreign nationals

Published

3 days ago

September 27, 2022

Sara Carter Staff

An audit report by the Inspector General shows enraging information as to exactly how millions of dollars from the American people were completely wasted.

One doesn’t need to read past the IG report’s headline to become furious: “ICE Spent Funds on Unused Beds, Missed COVID-19 Protocols and Detention Standards while Housing Migrant Families in Hotels.”

In summary, an unbelievable $17 million was wasted on not housing illegal foreign nationals. At the heart of the story is Endeavors, a nonprofit which has received half a billion dollars in taxpayer money “through no-bid government contracts to house foreign nationals who illegally entered the U.S. and were released by the Biden administration instead of being deported” reports The Center Square.

The audit evaluated the process used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to grant no bid contracts to Endeavors and their compliance with federal law, the article explains.

The report evaluated an $86.9 million sole source contract first awarded to Endeavors earlier this year. The contract was awarded for six months to provide “temporary shelter and processing services for families who have not been expelled and are therefore placed in immigration proceedings for their removal from the United States,” The Center Square previously reported.

Months after it received its first no bid contract, Endeavors received a second $530 million contract and hired former Biden administration official Andrew Lorenzen-Straight as its senior director for migrant services and federal affairs, Axios reported.

The Center Square explains:

Sole source contracts are used when an agency can demonstrate the contract meets specific and justified criteria. If contracts don’t meet one of the criteria, they must be awarded through an open competitive process.

Endeavors has no professional history of providing housing services and has never provided beds or all-inclusive emergency family residential services, OIG auditors found. Those critical of DHS’ contract process argue the agency should be awarding contracts through an open competitive process to ensure that those bidding for funds can offer the services they claim they can provide.

Under the contract in question, for six months between March and September 2021, Endeavors was responsible for providing 1,239 beds and other necessary services in hotels. It used six hotels and repurposed them as Emergency Family Reception Sites to accommodate families staying less than three days while ICE considered conditions of release, including alternatives to detention.

The IOG made four recommendations for ICE to improve its contracting and oversight of hotel facility management and operations. “ICE concurred with one recommendation and didn’t concur with three. Based on information ICE provided in its response, the IOG said it considered one recommendation resolved and closed, and three recommendations administratively closed.”