WASHINGTON – Last night, Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) issued a joint letter to the National Board of FEMA's Emergency Food and Shelter Program, highlighting alarming concerns about Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) using federal grants to assist illegal immigration.
Since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have encountered over five million illegal aliens. This is a direct consequence of the Biden Administration’s policies. Of these encounters, nearly two million illegal aliens have been released into the U.S. in accordance with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy.
Gooden and Jordan underline the role of NGOs, specifically citing United Way Worldwide, which reportedly uses DHS grant funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide aid to illegal aliens. According to the Congressmen, the United Way and similar organizations are receiving millions of taxpayer dollars to provide free food, lodging, and transportation for illegal aliens across the U.S. They underscore that this funding has the potential for misuse and fraud, given FEMA's current inability to provide oversight for humanitarian relief funds.
The letter requests the EFSP National Board's secretariat and fiscal agent provide documentation detailing the total dollar amount in grants and contracts received, a list of affiliates and sub-recipients of EFSP funding, all immigration-related information provided to immigrants, and the number of aliens who received services who had no record of an encounter with DHS, among other items.
"The surge of illegal immigration, fueled in part by NGOs like those on the EFSP National Board is unsustainable and unfair to law-abiding citizens and immigrants alike. We urge these organizations to prioritize transparency and fiscal responsibility. We will remain vigilant in our oversight of federal grants, to safeguard against any misuse of funds that could further exacerbate the current border crisis." Said Rep. Gooden.
Congressman Gooden has been a vocal watchdog on the improper use of funds by border NGOs. For more information click on his past initiatives, click here.