A recent report by the watchdog group Open the Books revealed vast sums lavished on grants for migrants by the Biden-Harris government. These grants, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, totaled over $10 billion in just one fiscal year. The Office’s responsibilities include managing unaccompanied migrant children at the southern border and resettling refugees entering the United States legally.
The watchdog’s analysis of fiscal years shows a marked increase, with $2.4 billion awarded to nonprofits in FY 2021 and $3.4 billion in FY 2022. This spiked to $10 billion during FY 2023 before decreasing to $4.2 billion in FY 2024. This surge occurred alongside an escalating migrant crisis from 2021 to 2024.
The funds were reportedly utilized for various initiatives, including actively aiding migrants in saving for vehicles and homes while providing loans and legal assistance. Open the Books CEO John Hart criticized the spending, stating, “We’re hurting American taxpayers… How is it moral to ask them to pay the bill for someone who wants to come to this country illegally?”
This revelation comes as scrutiny of government spending intensifies, spearheaded by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently retrieved $59 million initially allocated for migrant housing in New York City, terminating the employment of four Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff involved in the transactions.