CITIZENS NEWS

$22 billion in taxpayer funds funneled to migrants for cars, homes, and loans

By isabelle // 2025-02-18

• A watchdog report reveals HHS spent $22.6 billion on programs benefiting illegal migrants under Biden, including cars, homes, and business loans.
• ORR expanded eligibility criteria, distributing over $10 billion in 2023 alone, coinciding with record illegal border crossings.
• Critics argue the spending incentivizes illegal migration, with NGOs receiving nearly $1 billion in taxpayer-funded grants.
• ORR faced criticism for losing 32,000 migrant children in its system and placing children with unvetted sponsors.
• The Trump administration recovered $59 million from migrant-related grants, signaling a shift in funding priorities.

A watchdog report has exposed how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funneled $22.6 billion in taxpayer funds to programs benefiting illegal migrants under the Biden administration. From 2020 to 2024, the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) expanded eligibility criteria, using federal grants to subsidize cars, homes, and even business loans for noncitizens—all while American families struggled with inflation and economic uncertainty. The report, conducted by OpenTheBooks, highlights a disturbing trend of prioritizing illegal migrants over hardworking taxpayers, raising serious questions about the Biden administration’s open borders policies.

A “giant magnet” for illegal migration

The ORR, tasked with settling migrants and refugees, dramatically increased its spending under President Joe Biden, with over $10 billion distributed in fiscal year 2023 alone. This coincided with record-breaking illegal border crossings, as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported 2.4 million apprehensions during the same period. OpenTheBooks CEO John Hart described the spending as a “giant magnet” for illegal migration, stating, “The Shining City on a Hill, with its walls and doors, makes room for legal immigrants and legitimate refugees and asylum seekers, but the ORR has made a mockery of that vision in recent years.” The funds were used to provide dollar-for-dollar matching savings programs for migrants to purchase cars, homes, or pay for college tuition. Small business loans of up to $15,000 and credit repair loans of $1,500 were also offered, alongside emergency housing assistance, Medicaid care, and legal aid. Two major NGOs, the International Rescue Committee and Church World Services, received nearly $1 billion in taxpayer-funded grants during this period.

Mismanagement and lost children

While billions were spent on resettlement, the ORR faced criticism for failing to track thousands of unaccompanied migrant children in its care. A federal report revealed that 32,000 children were lost in the system over five years, raising concerns about child trafficking and abuse. Whistleblowers warned that the ORR placed migrant children with unvetted and potentially abusive sponsors, a problem exacerbated by the agency’s rapid expansion under Biden. Robin Dunn Marcos, the former ORR director, also faced scrutiny over her ties to nonprofit groups that received ORR grants, raising conflict of interest concerns. OpenTheBooks questioned whether her tenure influenced preferential funding allocations to organizations she was previously affiliated with.

Trump administration takes action

The Biden-era ORR spending spree comes as the Trump administration cracks down on migrant-related expenditures. Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it had recovered $59 million from FEMA grants originally allocated for housing migrants in New York City hotels. Newly confirmed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is expected to overhaul the agency’s funding priorities, with many anticipating that migrant-related grants will be significantly reduced or eliminated. Hart emphasized that the ORR’s misuse of federal funds has incentivized illegal migration and needs to be fully dismantled. “What’s clear is that ORR has funded a constellation of NGOs deployed in border states and nationwide, who give out aid designed to attract even more migrants,” OpenTheBooks concluded. The $22 billion spent on illegal migrants under the Biden administration represents a staggering misuse of taxpayer funds at a time when American families are grappling with inflation and economic hardship. This report underscores the consequences of open borders policies and the need for accountability in federal spending. With the Trump administration taking steps to rein in migrant-related expenditures, there is hope that taxpayer dollars will no longer be used to subsidize illegal migration. As Hart aptly put it, “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? That’s outrageous.” Sources for this article include: YourNews.com NYPost.com FoxNews.com

national security illegal immigration corruption Open Borders border security big government migrants deep state HHS incentives NGOs outrage government debt Biden Biden administration Harris ORR