[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6284511,"mediaKeyId","2578574-919f3137e2b4dd32c35de23fb0aa4b67","parentId",2578574,"title","Panel witnesses urge Congress to probe NGO spending on migrant services and warn against replacing statutory watchdogs","audioSeconds",1885,"startMs",6065000,"endMs",7950000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2578574-919f3137e2b4dd32c35de23fb0aa4b67&start=6065&end=7950","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2578574-919f3137e2b4dd32c35de23fb0aa4b67/thumbnail_6065000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6284511/Panel-witnesses-urge-Congress-to-probe-NGO-spending-on-migrant-services-and-warn-against-replacing-statutory-watchdogs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284511-4b3e2fcc7b12c71082b4202a1f5b266c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148642&Signature=Oy81uFZixeRUSImhvL6I8s4MwS2RKc8n6e6bXCJCQI2E-fCyB2zfTfeiSkIMXpcUbHZwqg0uA3X0Oc14iRoLxO3JzIye19dQo21Am~q3wxoCX9m~cLtSl66QItT-YzHX5IwwADCNenvveSrxwSjqcA8oo1p~OoaZi5kF2FK9PXdXj3M9OE80hLoX7R9YoqHjLuyfnDiUuka7SIIesxAdW5vU52XmC22~gIQc9DMHArAjYZ0vKDzx6BzNaIH1s6VT5gWuxMYxRnjqvhSRB8f42zO~sTFW9I3s3qoRBIKWVBGYdMu3CgkABeJa1aN5BE4MHtK3qbJK5FCppT0nabHaMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security","date","2025-03-11T20:40:17Z","article","A second panel of witnesses told the House Homeland Security subcommittee that nonprofits played a central role in sheltering and moving migrants through the United States and urged Congress to use its investigative powers to trace federal funding and hold organizations accountable. Witnesses also warned that the dismissal of multiple inspectors general and creation of a new Department of Government Efficiency, described at the hearing as “Doge,” pose risks to independent oversight.

Mike Howell (introduced at the hearing as the executive director of the Oversight Project at the Heritage Foundation) and other outside witnesses testified that a network of nongovernmental organizations and UN agencies received billions of dollars to help shelter and move migrants. Howell told the committee that, based on his organization’s tracking work, “they gave them almost $6,000,000,000 to a conglomerate of UN agencies and over 200 NGOs,” and that a cell-phone tracking sample of 30,000 devices showed migrants were moved into nearly every congressional district.

Curtis Schubert, executive director of Council to Modernize Governance, told the committee that DHS agencies including CISA had funded nonprofits involved in online content moderation and that the Center for Internet Security had received grants he characterized as significant. Schubert said CISA and other DHS components had at times funded external groups to identify and flag content that some government actors sought to limit, describing it as a risk to free speech and noting legal and policy concerns.

John Roth, former inspector general at DHS, told members that inspector general offices deliver substantial taxpayer benefits and that removing IGs undermines oversight. “Firing the inspector generals was a disempowering act,” Roth said. He told the committee IG offices locate operational problems, protect whistleblowers and have the institutional knowledge needed to target audits; he warned that replacing those structures with ad hoc entities would lack the same rigor.

Andrew Block, senior counsel at America First Legal, urged oversight of parole programs and border policies he described as misuse of statutory parole authority. He said the CBP One app and other parole programs were used in ways that, he said, exceeded the authority Congress intended; Block told the committee that “according to Secretary Noem, more than 1,000,000 people entered the country this way,” a figure he attributed to a public official he cited in testimony.

Several members urged subpoenas and documentary requests to trace how federal funds flowed to external organizations. Witnesses said Congress should use its subpoena power and not rely solely on inspector general offices that they described as having not pursued the financial trail in prior years. The committee kept the record open for 10 days and asked several witnesses to provide written follow-ups.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse at DHS: Addressing the Biden-Harris Administration’s Failures","oneSentenceSummary","Witnesses at the House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing urged congressional investigations into billions in NGO funding related to migrant support, described evidence of misconduct, and warned that recent removals of inspectors general and the rise of the Department of Government Efficiency risk undermining independent oversight.","taxTitle","Homeland Security: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1831,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6284516,"DHS OIG reports cite gaps in vetting and tracking of migrants, OIG and GAO warn of screening shortages",2093,1217000,3310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2578574-919f3137e2b4dd32c35de23fb0aa4b67&start=1217&end=3310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2578574-919f3137e2b4dd32c35de23fb0aa4b67/thumbnail_1217000.jpg","/articles/6284516/DHS-OIG-reports-cite-gaps-in-vetting-and-tracking-of-migrants-OIG-and-GAO-warn-of-screening-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284516-caa2f4cae74aca2d07bc1c303a364107/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148642&Signature=QJgjAy6LKoLe~BmvYIvXKk71X3UAVApBrRtprLBUPAt2dkdRAQqmPFmSnK3g1HNdKufDn5rjDTFjY2cd9lYhJwDP5ciiUzlowtfPg2L0R~nHaqE~0FoG4aAvBZDWiQZdQTvGEOg9fWv8TWgrIisl0D5AvMoiNFBwMUEkVGkhwjG-zy9Z5BoKejvZkrOE23EEdwL9XFDfpK1Ythx~~-mE74eEv3fe7bbJJTjXAXC8Gntu9SMB7U06LI02ocAE2XpCndEge3USEx8EPb-sqLpEQ9i3klarinxVd8pCorOtmcZQummkW-UFqjWSbXjsIvRSLH~4YXRShNMRM9QMRdGDrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials from the DHS Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office told the House subcommittee that DHS lacks consistent processes and technologies to track migrants once released from custody, that some Afghan evacuees left military bases without being tracked, and that Customs and Border Protection has gaps in biometric screening at ports of entry.

Erica Lang, DHS assistant inspector general for inspections and evaluations, summarized OIG findings on the 2021 Afghan evacuation and later border operations. “We determined that approximately 11,700 Afghan evacuees independently departed US military bases without assistance from resettlement agencies,” Lang said, and she described a fragmented process for monitoring parole expirations and resolving derogatory records for Afghan parolees. Lang told members that DHS did not designate a single component to monitor parole expiration for individuals.

Kristen Bernard, the DHS OIG deputy inspector for audits, told the committee that DHS components often lacked automated and consistent methods to maintain awareness of people released from custody. She cited missing or invalid addresses and reliance on manual, ad hoc processing for apprehension and detention that hindered tracking. “Until these issues are addressed, DHS will be unable to maintain awareness of all migrants' locations once released from DHS custody,” Bernard said.

Lang also described OIG reviews of cases where CBP released apprehended aliens without resolving inconclusive watch-list matches. In one review, CBP failed to provide information requested by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center that would have confirmed a positive match. Lang attributed that failure to “ineffective practices, poor information sharing within CBP itself, staffing constraints and paper processes.”

Committee members pressed witnesses on whether existing policies and staffing levels supported large surges; witnesses testified they had not seen formal White House limits on inflow and stressed that surges can overwhelm screening and detention capacity. Bernard said biometric screening “are not available at all land border crossing lanes” and that in some high-volume situations CBP may waive screening of some passengers to move traffic through ports.

Members on both sides of the aisle raised concerns about workforce reductions and the impact on mission-critical functions such as cybersecurity and disaster response. Witnesses recommended automation, consistent cross-component processes and targeted hiring and training to restore situational awareness and screening capacity across DHS.","DHS Office of Inspector General and GAO witnesses told the House subcommittee that the department has been unable to consistently track migrants after release, did not fully screen some Afghan evacuees, and that CBP lacks biometric coverage at all land crossing lanes.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6284521,"GAO and DHS OIG tell House panel DHS faces management, cybersecurity and disaster-aid weaknesses; FEMA added to GAO high-risk list",1128,2170000,3298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2578574-919f3137e2b4dd32c35de23fb0aa4b67&start=2170&end=3298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2578574-919f3137e2b4dd32c35de23fb0aa4b67/thumbnail_2170000.jpg","/articles/6284521/GAO-and-DHS-OIG-tell-House-panel-DHS-faces-management-cybersecurity-and-disaster-aid-weaknesses-FEMA-added-to-GAO-high-risk-list","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284521-657af20d281ec20796b09041696e12c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148642&Signature=Bx8zKP6rhGC5dNg9clZSsjPbbUGcJTTsMhUcXJQIRDIZQlzIT6l5LlWTgZO3SBL~CiOw64Q2TEsSPjCg9G3k5C7FNcCRuWoaMuQBFqdZ-6ScPPP4~5SGL8wsLQ~kOHawfcDuos8YO-PE5cvW-I11lIeRenOpECuYV9Ex15BomXDBIKpKnZI6t7p1DaGjxsJFhT6-zYuXWsz95kt-6DgCvRcN1o~A63L8bhuk0Iw-qJrVZN2TNnELnGa-5n6h88buwwnmdr6OiIN~qAvV6b6lTJYAs7qFpnc822L5Rtg4WW2pIFLleT-FBZOMyiqD0JbPvztQopAGhSTqIe-yehLh6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Witnesses for the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General told the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability that the department continues to face systemic management, information-technology and cybersecurity problems and that federal disaster assistance needs major reform.

Chris Curry, director of Homeland Security and Justice at the Government Accountability Office, told the panel that GAO currently has 459 open recommendations for DHS and has identified about $19,000,000,000 in potential financial savings if DHS implements those changes. “Right now, there's 459 open recommendations that we have to the department,” Curry said, adding that 37 are high-priority recommendations that span IT procurement, financial management and disaster assistance.

The GAO witness described two high-risk areas tied to the committee’s jurisdiction: weaknesses in DHS management (including IT security and financial systems) and the delivery of federal disaster assistance. He said FEMA manages hundreds of long-running disaster declarations and maintains multiple legacy procurement systems that do not interoperate. “FEMA itself has six different procurement systems that can't talk to one another,” Curry said. He also told the committee GAO recently added strengthening the delivery of federal disaster assistance to its high-risk list because the overall federal disaster assistance enterprise is fragmented across many agencies.

Kristen Bernard, DHS Office of Inspector General deputy inspector for audits, told the committee that OIG work has repeatedly identified recurring problems across DHS components, including gaps in tracking migrants, multiple cybersecurity weaknesses and billions in questioned costs for FEMA. “Collectively, our oversight has identified more than 4,000 security vulnerabilities over the past 3 years,” Bernard said. She told lawmakers OIG has identified about $12,000,000,000 in questioned costs across recent years and previously notified FEMA and Congress of $7,000,000,000 that could be put to better use because of delays and problems closing disaster programs.

Erica Lang, DHS assistant inspector general for inspections and evaluations, detailed OIG reviews of immigration and border operations and the department’s handling of evacuees. Lang said OIG found problems tracking Afghan evacuees resettled in 2021: about 11,700 evacuees independently departed U.S. military bases and the department had no single component designated to monitor parole expirations. Lang told the committee DHS struggled to track individuals who “independently departed the bases” and did not have a consistent process for monitoring parole expiration.

OIG and GAO witnesses also described shortcomings in screening and watch-list matching. Lang reviewed a case in which Customs and Border Protection released an apprehended individual without providing information requested by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center; she attributed the failure to ineffective processes, limited staffing and paper-based practices. Bernard added that biometric screening capabilities are not available at all land crossing lanes and said CBP sometimes foregoes passenger screening when ports experience backlogs.

Committee members asked witnesses about the implications of staffing shortfalls and about implementation of GAO recommendations. Witnesses stressed the need for sustained attention to legacy IT systems, hiring and targeted reforms to FEMA’s grant and disaster-management processes to reduce complexity and duplication across federal disaster assistance.

The subcommittee asked the witnesses for follow-up written responses; the hearing record was kept open for additional questions and the panel dismissed the witnesses.","Officials from the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General told the House Homeland Security subcommittee that DHS has long-running management, IT and cybersecurity problems and that federal disaster assistance overseen by FEMA is now on GAO’s high-risk list.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Panel witnesses urge Congress to probe NGO spending on migrant services and warn against replacing statutory watchdogs

DHS OIG reports cite gaps in vetting and tracking of migrants, OIG and GAO warn of screening shortages

GAO and DHS OIG tell House panel DHS faces management, cybersecurity and disaster-aid weaknesses; FEMA added to GAO high-risk list