Members of the House of Representatives are examining how nonprofit organizations (NGOs) are influencing immigration processes, impacting asylum policy and federal spending tied to border-related programs.
The hearing, held by the new Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, came the same week lawmakers approved additional funding for immigration enforcement agencies, and days after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s pause on processing asylum and other immigration applications from 39 countries was unlawful and arbitrary.
Representative Michael Cloud (R-TX) said these claims were “blown way out of proportion.”
“They were really coming here for basically economic benefit, as opposed to what true asylum is supposed to be for,” Rep. Cloud said.
Instead, Rep.Cloud said what has continued to go overlooked is the “massive” number of NGOs “funneling” taxpayer dollars into immigration operations and migrant transportation.
Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies Mark Krikorian said U.S. taxpayer-funded NGOs under the Biden administration, both inside and outside the country, helped transport migrants to the U.S. border and provided debit cards or other assistance to move them toward the border.
“Taxpayers under President Biden were funding NGOs abroad to move people to the border, and then NGOs inside the country to move people around the country,” Krikorian said.
In another example, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) organized a petition in 2020 asking California Governor Gavin Newsom to provide unemployment benefits to workers ineligible for unemployment insurance due to their immigration status.
“I think we should allocate resources accordingly to people who are going to become citizens of this country,” said Chris Newman, NDLON’s general counsel and legal director.
Chairman and Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) said it was “astounding” that Newman would argue for giving taxpayer dollars to “illegal aliens,” while Newman pressed Rep.Gill on what his “beef” with immigrants was.
“I don't have any beef with immigrants,” Rep. Gill said. “I'm asking you if you think it's appropriate to shut down one of the busiest bridges in America to give taxpayer-funded unemployment benefits to illegal aliens.”
Newman did not answer Rep.Gill, but Krikorian said these NGO-supported migrant transportation networks have decreased in recent years.
Krikorian said he thinks these organizations are now lying “dormant” and “eagerly waiting” for the next administration in hopes it will be less strict on border security and immigration enforcement.
“We still have a lot of loopholes to close to make sure this doesn't happen,” Rep. Cloud said.
