Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is doing some digital archeology into the dark closet of federal spending, and the skeletons they’re turning up aren’t pretty.
I’ve been writing for over two years about the Biden administration’s use of taxpayer money to facilitate illegal immigration. But I won’t complain about headlines like “Elon Musk said DOGE uncovered $59 million in payments for luxury hotels”—even if Musk’s work was more to “publicize” than to “uncover.”
Thanks to Biden’s open border and mass parole programs, millions of aliens entered the U.S. border illegally over the past four years. Over the same timeframe, Congress granted $31 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services to provide housing, medical and legal services to these aliens.
But the Biden administration also actively worked to facilitate mass migration using the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—whose mission is to help disaster-stricken Americans, not aid illegal aliens.
Via the Department of Homeland Security, the Biden administration channeled billions to FEMA, which in turn granted states, cities and nonprofits money to transport, house and care for illegal aliens.
From FY2021 to FY2024, Congress gave FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program $2.2 billion for “nonprofits and local entities to provide support to noncitizens released from DHS custody.” This means “to pay for illegal aliens released at the border.”
In 2024 alone, FEMA set aside $640.9 million in Shelter and Services grants “to enable non-federal entities to off-set allowable costs incurred for services associated with noncitizen migrant arrivals in their communities.” The top recipients were Denver; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Massachusetts; New York; and Philadelphia—Democrat-run states and cities with “sanctuary” policies offering free housing and services to illegal aliens.
Biden also used the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (a FEMA grant program authorized in 1987 to help homeless veterans) to pipe another billion dollars into housing illegal immigrants. The $59 million DOGE just flagged was doled out as part of one FEMA grant to house illegal aliens in New York City in more than 200 jerry-rigged shelters that included formerly luxurious hotels like the Roosevelt.
This isn’t an anomaly. It’s just the latest payment in a four-year federal subsidy of sanctuary cities. And these FEMA grants are just one tool among many used by the Biden administration to fund an unauthorized, taxpayer-funded mass migration system.
Officially, refugees who have been vetted and selected are supposed to enter the U.S. through the congressionally authorized U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
Funded by the U.S. government, USRAP already had a network of NGOs and charities such as Catholic Charities, Jewish Family Services, and Lutheran Refugee and Immigrant Services. Traditionally, these NGOs were paid to help bring in and resettle a fairly small annual number of refugees.
The Biden administration took this existing NGO pipeline and supercharged it with billions of dollars of federal money, and these charities went from handling tens of thousands of cases per year to millions through many different channels and programs.
In November 2024, retired Border Patrol officer J.J. Carrell told a flabbergasted House Homeland Security Committee that DHS was cutting checks for $600 million to Jewish Family Services alone every three months that year.
Similarly, the government granted over $550 million to various Lutheran charities in FY2024, most of it for migration. Catholic Charities USA received $1.4 billion in federal grants in 2021 alone.
Much of these taxpayer dollars went directly to the task of importing illegal aliens.
Americans have seen the consequences of wide-open borders but might not have focused on the fact that it was done with their money. DOGE’s candlepower can enlighten them.
Reprinted with permission from The Heritage Foundation by Simon Hankinson.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Illegal anyone should not be entitled to American tax payers money. Where was FEMA when real Americans were in need? Consequences should be mandatory for those bureaucrats who commit fraud otherwise there’s nothing to keep them from doing it and they know it.
It is time for people to go to jail !!!!
These were criminal acts, I want people in handcuffs!
Everything the federal government does is done with taxpayer dollars. When the federal government is handing out hundreds of billions of dollars, over a four-year period, to tens of thousands of NGOs of questionable validity, one should expect something either unlawful or at least highly questionable is being done with the intention of masking said activity from public scrutiny. Or at least the percentage of the public that can’t figure this whole scheme out.
When the illegal aliens started streaming into this country within hours of Biden being sworn in, many wearing brand new tee shirts emblazoned with Biden on the front, it shouldn’t have taken very long to figure out a coordinated effort was engineered between the Democrat Party, the incoming Biden administration and the hundreds of well-staffed and well-funded NGOs operating south of our own border in Mexico and other South American countries to arrange for the care, feeding, clothing and transport of illegal aliens to our southern border.
That the American people decided to sit by for 4 long years, as upwards of 20 million illegal aliens streamed non-stop into our country was truly amazing and eye opening. We allowed an invasion force to literally walk into our country for 4 long years while useful tools like Biden and Mayorkis lied non-stop and claimed nothing is wrong and the border is secure. Where we continued to spend hundreds of billions more to house, feed and care for these people, who ultimately contributed nothing to this country.
One would hope the American people have learned something at this point and they wouldn’t repeat the same costly mistake a second time. Maybe or maybe not.
When is the USA going to get serious about punishing TREASON?
And someone also needs to track the “political donations” these NGOs are making to the party and people within the party who channeled this money to them in the first place. How much of those billions is finding its merry way back into the pockets of the politicians? I’d love to see the numbers on that. It’s also how “foreign aid” works. Kickbacks to the politicians are a high part of why the money gets sent in the first place.
Some Congressman with guts needs to introduce a simple Bill.
”Non citizens shall receive no funding of ANY kind from the government of the United States.
No State shall use Federal funding for any purpose to aide, assist, or abet non citizens.
Informative article, but without the consequence, what is it’s point? We know that Biden handler is a crook.
Democrats are despicable. All this to increase the population numbers in ‘blue cities and states” to increase funding and electoral votes, to keep themselves in power. Despicable.
Time for some serious charges to be filed, No pardons, no plea deals. No more B.S. Let ms. Bondi do what she has proven excellent at. The law!
It was of great concern that Brain Dead Biden’s Administration of criminals, perverts, and subversives threw open the country’s borders and allowed a all out assault/Invasion of Illegal Alliins. Now we learn that these same criminals provided services for the illegals using our Tax dollars. Billions of Tax Dollars. This is an outrage that can not be allowed to go unpunished. From Biden down to all of his CRIMINAL ADMINISTRATION THAY MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. BIDEN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO JUST RIDE OFF INTO A RETIREMENT.. He must be held accountable and punished for his TREASONUS ACTS!
As a tax payer I’m am so angry that the $ that are taken from me are being used to undermine my country. During this tax season it is especially infuriating to file taxes and pay them after learning how my hard earned money is given away by these criminals in government.
The last administration has committed treason many times over and need to be held responsible!
This is nothing new, but it’s still a kick to the gut, especially since the damage has been done and Joebama and Maydork-ass won’t be held accountable for their treason.
I wish we could get all of the last administration charged with treason and sent to jail or the highest sentences by law !
To say that we are fortunate to have President Trump and his team in office is an understatement. ????????
It is hard to be nice and not say really bad stuff after reading this article. most people would have been hung with a new rope pulling this kind of s”””.
What could be the possible motivation except to be expect them to vote for democrats and destroy the country?
Absolutely incredible but not surprised. And mayorkis kept repeating that the border was closed.
The outright lying is what’s incredible.
Thanks be to God that Trump was elected. Now we have to keep him alive.
Would be gratifying to see Biden pulled out of his decades-long retirement and prosecuted for nefarious activities from his “basement presidency” and before.
The folks who suffered hurricane Helene were ignored. Nah, it wasn’t political.
These informative accounts given by AMC, are completely ignored by the corporate media outlets where so many get their news. There simply has to be illegality here, no way are foreign citizens, who have invaded our country supposed to be able to come before our own citizens. Certainly not our veterans who have given a great part of their life to uphold the American way of life. These illegals should have stayed in their own home land and fight for the way of life they desire.
Biden did invite them in and encouraged them by the gifts he took away from the storm victims in our land.
I want to see these UNELECTED government and NGO bureaucrats PUNISHED for allowing this massive misuse of Taxpayer funds to help illegal invaders into, and settle in, this country! They knew what they were doing and wanted to keep their cushy jobs as long as a DemoKKKRAT was President. Can ANY of these squandered billions be clawed back? This must NEVER be allowed to happen again!
If it turns out that no legal action is taken and successfully prosecuted against these officials in the government and NGO’s we will have to conclude that enough influential Republicans were complicit. Let’s just see who’s hiding in the halls of Congress when stuff hits the fan.
Illegal should not get any taxpayer money!
We have the answers to all these wrong doings. We voted Trump in to take some action, and he is. Let’s keep our ‘normal’ “conservative” program rolling by voting. We showed we had the power to bring this country back from the brink by electing someone we thought would actually DO something. Let him do it, and let’s keep the ball rolling by voting. Can we keep our GOP from becoming the DNC ?
BIDEN, MAYORKAS AND THE REST OF THE BUREAUCRATS INVOLVED IN THIS SHOULD BE EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD FOR T R E A S O N!!!!!
I saw a program where illegal aliens were asked who they would vote for. They all, happily, shouted, Biden. They had Vote for Biden t-shirts on and were living in an area with housing and food stands. Now, two years since then, we finally have a no nonsense president, who stands for the people of America. I’m going to focus on that. I’m really thankful America got it right this time. We voted for the right man who will do the job Biden never did. Thank God for President Trump!
I don’t consider them to be illegal they are invaders to our country, and it was allowed by the no good Democratic Party! Anyone one in congress who voted to give taxpayer money to the invaders of America should have to pay the price for their incompetence! There needs to be serious consequences for their incompetence for selling out America and the American taxpayer! Whoever in congress approved this incompetence should have all their funds seized and put towards the Federal Deficit! Then they all should be deported for selling out America and branded as a communist, socialist, Marxist, Muslim/Hamas trader and banded from returning to America!
This is why We need DOGE
Well, and each year homeowners have been charged higher and higher premiums for a flood policy. Was informed by USAA insurance that during Biden the structure for premiums to be paid was changed- risk isn’t in the equation. It is a flat amount charged. FEMA must go away or be totally reformed.
Because most minorities are now well informed through the internet, & has left the Democrat party, this is now how the Democrat’s hope to winning every election with these illegals who will be counted in the Census, thereby adding Electors who will always vote for them & millions of future citizens as their voter base. Any idiot can see the Democrats’ intent of why they opened the borders. If this was done by a Republican, they will all be in jail now, but not Dems who always cross the line. So Sad,
Now comes the tough part. Round them up and send them back.
More disgusting findings! Goes along perfectly with the whole “Biden Brand Business”. I’m furious with the lack of accountability and consequences everywhere.
Musk, DOGE and others uncover corrupt facts, but no penalties are enforced? Very bad lesson for our children and society about responsibility!
Both Biden and Mayorkas should be jailed for life for this. Then maybe there wouldn’t be so many imbeciles wanting to carry this kind of thing on in the future!
Save the feathers from all the chickens being slaughtered, get some tar and some brushes, and lets decorate all the traitors from the O”Biden administration.
i like jay’s comment. it’s time for people to go jail. And they will probably love it there.
It wasn’t just the Biden administration aiding illegals. In paragraphs 3 & 6 it says Congress allocated over $33Billion to aid illegals, and it wasn’t just when Dems were in majority. Do we need any more proof that Congress doesn’t abide by their own laws or the Constitution, not even the Republicans?
By now everyone knows the decisions of the Biden Administration were not made by Joe Biden. Biden’s Administration was run by Obama Admin personnel. I wonder how many of them had control of the autopen.
Obama openly opined about running the White House from his basement, in his sweats, while somebody else danced and pranced around the WH.
I am a 2+2=4 kind of guy, am I the only one who knows Biden was Obama’s third term?
There needs to be serious consequences for that fraud, deception, and theft.
Biden will be remembered as the Autopen Administration Resident.
Obama should be prosecuted. Kamala should get a medal for preventing his fourth term.
I thank God for President Trump every day, and I know he deserves a third term.
These left politicians, their demonstrators and the rest do not realize that they live in America too! For me I am 78 but your grandchildren, get out the language books for chinese or russian and start teaching them to speak it. This way the kids will be ready for Amereica’s transition. Don’t they realize Mr. Trump and his and you want to make America strong again. Mr. Trump is trying to make the North American Empire trying to acess Canada, greenland and mexico(will take more time because of the cartel) but he willdo it. The left and their schemes made America weak. And everyone had a chance to step on America. These so called Democrats hi-jacked by the woke network are definetly not fit to command and they will never protect us.
Obama told us he wanted to destroy the America we knew, the America our Fathers and Forefathers fought for and the freedoms they handed down to us, but we refused to listen, in a large part due to the support of the Propaganda Arm of the DNC, otherwise known as the main stream media.
Trump may be abrasive but he is productive! Essentially every President since at least Eisenhower promised to cut the corruption along with the waste, fraud, and abuse in government, including Obama’s Executive Order 13576-Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government in which Bidum was in charge of cleaning up government. So Trump didn’t create DOGE, he just put someone in charge who could make it work!
The quote comes from an October 30, 2008 campaign rally in Columbia, Missouri.
There should be a law that any money thats spent on things like this has to be voted on and be transparent when approved. The tax payers get screwed every which way but loose. Also there should be a law that when politicians designate a certain amount of money for a certain thing, it can only be spent for that which it was intended for.
Billions of dollars to persons that entered the country illegally. They broke the immigration laws. But Biden decided to support these people with housing, transportation, healthcare and education. To the detriment of the veterans, ill people and poor families and seniors. Victims of hurricanes and tornadoes and floods and fires had to fend for themselves. Or got the grand sum of 750 dollars. Now money is being spent by the oligarchs to sue the govt about deporting gang members from all over the world. Most of them from Venezuela. The judge is running the country now and we taxpayers are paying for keeping these criminals here and for the lawsuit. Just heard we have spend our budget by August of this year. The democrats are laughing their heads off because this is what they want. Have America go broke under Trump. We the people are paying for all this hilarity. Our safety is compromised by keeping these criminals around. Even our dem citizens are a danger for the people on their right. They burn and damage their Teslas. Chase them down while driving one. Wearing a MAGA hat gets you in trouble. Lawlessness, hate and eliminating millions of people is the policies of the progressive dems. Will we ever get back to a normal society? With dialogue and understanding that we all are humans first, with opinions. The democrats are going after Trump and his cabinet one by one. Nothing went on with the signal chat. Has someone thought that a cyber attack was done? How honest was the article Goldberg published.
And NOBODY will be charged for their treason!
This is disgraceful and should be illegal if it isn’t already.
Any politician or official that is caught abusing taxpayer funds, should have their own funds confiscated as well as recovering as much unspent funds back into the U.S. Treasury. These people must be held accountable to show anyone illegally spending taxpayer money will not be tolerated – period. This includes any Dark Money found being funneled into any politician’s coffers to give then an unfair campaign advantage to public access for ads/commercials, etc. I for one am tired of being phone-message bombed by my party saying they are being overwhelmingly out-spent, and I have to keep pulling out my credit card to send a few dollars, because most of U.S. out here – are not rich. Many who are in politics as senators and congress people, are supposed to serve the public and not helping themselves through many of our undefined agencies, to funneled cash into their pockets for campaigns and cushy retirements as millionaires from ill-gotten funds, for favors. Time to return the public service function back to these public servants, who are not royalty – and hold then to it.
People need to GO TO JAIL!!! I’ll wait a year, lots to do in the meantime, then I’m gonna start making noise!
Can’t help but wonder how the hurricane victims in Norh Carolina and other Southern states feel about all this money used that FEMA was supposed to use on them going to illegals? I’d be pissed as hell!!
Grand Theft! Those who directed money to corrupt uses are guilty of Grand Theft and need to go to prison for 30 years! They stole the American dream from millions of people to fund the destruction of the USA – treason and Grand Theft. We want them in Prison ASAP!
Shame on Jill Biden for allowing her husband who was obviously showing signs of dementia, to be used as a pawn by the democraps for their monetary gain and power! They thought the influx of illegals they allowed in the US would vote for Joe.That’s exactly what happened and thank God their ploy failed!
Why am I not surprised? With multiple agencies, NGO’s who are pretty nefarious, and outright crooked charities with their hands out….you should expect billions wasted and abused, since our own government has become our own worst enemy and the friend to any and all border crossers, no matter their status. It is incomprehensible, the amount of money spent with no checks and accountability. Hopefully, a complete report with names, dates, amounts, and persons involved at every level will be forthcoming. This is a perfect opportunity to apply prosecutions at every level and make public every elected official who was involved. While I suspect that won’t happen, It’s a must in my thinking. With all the lies, graft, cheating, corrupted charities and individuals involved, we just can’t ignore this any longer. I am Lutheran, and fortunately, having examined my own denomination, this branch of that “church” has no part in the outfit that has robbed America. If you are contributing to any of these groups, be sure you know what they are doing with your money and who should be held accountable when they “sin” against their supporters. Enough is enough.