The federal government has spent nearly $20 billion on refugee resettlement programs over the last two years, with funds going to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the Department of Health and Human Services.
The budget has increased significantly under President Biden, with a focus on various assistance programs for refugees and foreign nationals.
The spending surge has been accompanied by a surge in border encounters and illegal immigration, prompting concerns about the potential incentives for mass migration.
Open the Books Founder & CEO Adam Andrzejewski said, “Potential migrants from an ever-broader range of countries are trying to enter the country by any means necessary.”
“The news traveling back home is: come to America. Entry is easy and the benefits are aplenty once you’ve arrived. The grantmaking in particular is a powerful magnet for more people to keep flooding our borders; who would turn down not just a free lunch but a leg up on a new life?” he continued.
“This is creating an endless flow of people seeking help with anything from travel to health care to loans,” added Andrzejewski.
“By extending so many benefits we are creating an endless spiral of spending – and the pain can be felt everywhere from hospitals, to schools to shelters across the country,” explained the CEO.
Former HHS Director of the Office of Civil Rights Roger Severino reported that “HHS and ORR have forgotten their original refugee-resettlement mission and instead have provided a panoply of free programs that incentivize people to come to the United States illegally.”
The current director of ORR has ties to organizations that have historically received substantial funding from the office, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
A spokesperson for the ORR wrote in a statement, “Consistent with the Ethics Pledge, Robin Dunn Marcos is recused from participating in particular matters involving specific parties in which IRC is or represents a party. That recusal obligation lasts for two years from her date of appointment, which was September 11, 2022.”
The ORR has faced criticism for losing track of unaccompanied children placed with sponsors and for their handling of the surge in illegal immigration.
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