This story initially was revealed by Real Clear Wire
By Adam Andrzejewski
Actual Clear Wire
Topline: The federal Workplace of Refugee Resettlement spent $20 billion during the last two years on “refugee and entrant help” for these getting into the nation legally or illegally, in keeping with a report from OpenTheBooks.com.
Companies included authorized help, medical screening, housing help, cultural orientation, work authorization, public advantages utility, faculty enrollment, psychological well being providers, money help and Medicaid entry. The spending represents a rise of billions of {dollars} over earlier years and consists of potential conflicts of curiosity with the company’s director.
Key information: The workplace, a program of the Administration of Youngsters and Households, a part of the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies, drastically elevated its discretionary grant spending during the last two years, contributing to the $20 billion price ticket. The company awarded solely $500 million in grants from 2013-2021 however spent over $1 billion on grants up to now two years alone.
Grants have been additionally despatched out by packages just like the Particular person Improvement Accounts, which helps immigrants construct their credit score scores, begin a enterprise or save for big purchases like a home.
Father or mother company Administration of Youngsters and Households obtained $2.9 billion to help Afghani entrants simply in 2022, whereas Ukrainian refugees wanted $2.7 billion in help during the last two years.
OpenTheBooks additionally discovered potential conflicts of curiosity inside Workplace of Refugee Resettlement spending.
Robin Dunn Marcos took over as program director in September 2022 following eight years of labor with the non-profit Worldwide Rescue Committee.
That group obtained simply $22 million from the Workplace of Refugee Resettlement in 2021. However after Dunn Marcos turned director, her former employer obtained $235 million in grants in 2023.
A authorities spokesperson stated Dunn Marcos is at the moment recused from all issues involving the Worldwide Rescue Committee, however the recusal will finish in September of this yr.
Background: The monetary burden resulted partly from a file 2.5 million migrant encounters on the U.S.-Mexico border final yr.
Throughout the previous two years, roughly 260,000 unaccompanied kids additionally arrived within the U.S. and 85,000 of these kids are “misplaced” within the system. Assist for unaccompanied kids value taxpayers $13 billion from 2012 to 2022, OpenTheBooks previously reported.
Abstract: The Workplace of Refugee Resettlement represents only one small piece of U.S. spending on authorized and unlawful immigration. Nevertheless, new arrivals within the nation present no indicators of slowing down, and neither does the burden on taxpayers.
The #WasteOfTheDay is delivered to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
This text was initially revealed by RealClearInvestigations and made accessible through RealClearWire.
