▶ 0:06:52The committee on homeland security will come to order. Without objection, the chair may declare the committee in recess at any point. Before we begin, I want to start off by expressing the condolences of this committee to the people of the great state of Texas who have been devastated by recent tragic flooding. I know this hits especially hard to the home of several of our colleagues who call Texas home.
▶ 0:07:19Our thoughts and our prayers are with the victim of this flooding and their families. We are grateful for the courageous efforts of the Coast Guard, CBP, and many other first responders and volunteers who have placed themselves in harm's way to rescue those caught in the flooding. These American heroes, like Coast Guard swimmer Scott Ruskin, saved countless lives through their bravery, and they deserve our nation's gratitude and honor.
▶ 0:07:49This committee will continue to do everything we can to ensure the victims receive the assistance they need and that the federal agencies are prepared to help in times of trouble. The purpose of today's hearing is to examine the role that taxpayerup supported non-governmental agencies played in facilitating the border crisis under the Biden Harris administration. I now recogni recognize myself for a brief opening statement.
▶ 0:08:20For four years, the Biden Harris administration created the worst border crisis in American history. From day one, Biden Harris and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcis implemented a policy of mass catch and release, dismantling effective border policies and gutted interior enforcement.
▶ 0:08:45As a result, roughly 13 million inadmissible aliens were either encountered at our border or entered as gotaways. The consequences of these acts have been devastating. Thousands of Americans were lost to fentinel poisoning. Gang members wre havoc in local communities.
▶ 0:09:04Young women like Lake and Riley, Joyce Nongara, and Rachel Moran were raped, abused, and murdered at the hands of illegal aliens. This committee led the way by impeaching Secretary Mayorcis for his willful and systematic refusal to enforce long-standing immigration law. Laws passed and amended over the years by bipartisan majorities in Congress.
▶ 0:09:33The American people also emphatically rejected the open border policies at the ballot box last November. What is not known by many and what will be highlighted today at this hearing is that the Biden Harris administration could not have executed an open door border policy on its own. They needed help and that help came from non-governmental agencies funded by the federal government.
▶ 0:10:02These groups that received billions in taxpayer funding would prove instrumental in helping the Biden Harris administration process and release a historic number of illegal aliens into our country under a DHS program called the emergency food and shelter human humanitarian program EFPH which later became the shelter and service program.
▶ 0:10:29FEMA provided grants to numerous NOS's, many of whom are operating at the southwest border. These groups spent billions of taxpayers dollars given to them by the Biden Harris administration to provide all types of benefits to illegal aliens. Those individuals who were recent released from DH custo DHS custody.
▶ 0:10:52Our taxpayer dollars were spent on purchasing tens of thousands of nights and hotel rooms for illegal aliens. Instead of using existing ICE detention facilities to house those detained the Biden Harris administration sent taxpayer dollars to NOS's to put them in hotels at the cost again of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of those contracts.
▶ 0:11:21Many of the many in many cases without any ICE supervision. Even worse, our taxpayer dollars were used to form the final link in the cartel's human smuggling operation, paying to help illegal aliens travel to their preferred destinations, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, or other destinations of choice.
▶ 0:11:43Jansen Owen, then the chief of the Border Patrol Del Rio sector, told the committee in an official interview, "ICE would then turn over illegal aliens over to NOS's for them to travel to wherever they were going to go while awaiting their hearing. Recent studies have shown that illegal aliens who passed through the doors of these NOS's at the border ended up in effectively every congressional district across the country.
▶ 0:12:14Many of the NOS's served as a launching pad for mass illegal immigration. The abuse was so widespread that even the Biden Harris administration, the NOS's themselves couldn't deny was happening.
▶ 0:12:27in June 2022 when DHS officials said that the department will continue to closely coordinate with and support NOS's to facilitate the movement of any individual encountered at the southwest John Martin with the Opportunity Center for the Homelessness, an NGO in El Paso, said that his organization works with illegal aliens to quote, "facilitate travel to destinations of their choice,"
▶ 0:12:58end quote. These actions appear to many on the committee to constitute a violation of section 274 of the Immigration and Nationalization Act, which prohibits any individual from encouraging or inducing someone to enter the country unlawfully or helping transport them to the Corruption and waste were rampant in the spending by the NOS's.
▶ 0:13:24Under the Biden Harris administration, DHS's top watchdog audited millions of dollars that had gone to local grant recipients over a six-month period in 2021. They found that a lack of documentation kept them from determining how more than half the money had been spent. In some cases, they discovered that funds had been used to pay for benefits for individuals who were legally inadmissible to receive them.
▶ 0:13:52The Biden border crisis provided to be a profitable business for some NOS's. According to the free press, three large NDO NOS's involved in handling unaccompanied alien children. The global refuge re who received 85% of its revenue from governmental grants. Endeavors who received 97% of their revenue from governmental grants.
▶ 0:14:21and Southwest Keys program who received an astonishing 99% of its revenue from the federal government. These three groups saw their combined revenue grow to an astonishing two billion plus dollars by I would argue that these groups had a vested interest in prolonging the crisis.
▶ 0:14:44One NGO Southwest Key Properties use the increase in government funding to raise salaries of officers and officials across the board, including, according to recent media reporting, an increase of over $675,000 increase to their CEO. Many NOS's tried to mislead the public in how these funds were being allocated.
▶ 0:15:10This was documented by a recent Florida grand jury investigation that said that in that investigation, the grand jury said that they were actively obstructed. They were obstructed from determining how these federal dollars were spent. The grand jury also noted that some NOS's received the vast majority of their federal funding from grants or the vast majority of their funding from federal grants.
▶ 0:15:37Pretty interesting for groups that like to call themselves non-governmental organizations. The American people are tired of being told that we should fund the actions of lawb breakakers. They are tired of groups encouraging people to cross the border illegally and organizations that facilitate the release of illegal aliens into the interior.
▶ 0:15:59When wouldbe G border crossers know that they will receive a host of benefits that await them immediately after crossing the border, they are more likely to make the deadly and dangerous journey. That's exactly what happened under the Biden Harris watch as millions of vulnerable people put themselves in harm's way at the hands of cartels and smuggling groups. An untold number perished along the route.
▶ 0:16:25Tens of thousands of more suffered physical and sexual abuse on the way, and many are still trapped today, paying off their cartel debt through forced labor or working in the sex trade. We can and should look for ways to care for the vulnerable and less fortunate. But using taxpayer dollars to undermine our laws and the well-being of Americans and migrants alike is not the way to do it.
▶ 0:16:53We cannot let taxpayer dollars be used to facilitate lawbreaking and we must shine a light on this disgraceful step as we begin to hold these organizations accountable. This cannot on our watch ever be allowed to happen again. With that, I would like to recognize the ranking member and my friend from my home state of Mississippi, Mr.
▶ 0:17:22Thompson for his opening statement. Thank you very much uh Mr. Chairman. Welcome uh also to this hearing and I look forward to the information we get. Uh but before we begin, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost lives in the tragic Texas flooding on Independence Day. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
▶ 0:17:50Also, I want to say that we had a smaller flood. Nonetheless, we lost lives in New Mexico, and we want to acknowledge that. Also, Mr. Chairman, my Republican colleagues and the Trump administration are waging a war on faith and civil society in the United States. That is the real inside job. So, let's talk about it.
▶ 0:18:16Faith-based service and civic associations bring Americans together in pursuit of the greater good. And that threatens Donald Trump and mega Republicans because they believe their political strength lies in driving wedges between people.
▶ 0:18:33In their pursuit of political power, Donald Trump and mega Republicans are ripping apart the fabric of what makes America great, our freedom to believe, to practice our faith, and to associate in civic organizations that help us in our pursuit of happiness. Donald Trump started his second term by attacking religious organizations, and he's not rested since.
▶ 0:19:00On the first day in office, Donald Trump paused foreign assistance for the needy, harming the work of faith-based religious agencies. On his second day in office, Donald Trump decided that deportation forces could begin entering houses of worship to arrest migrants.
▶ 0:19:20After a week in office, Donald Trump OM attempted to freeze federal grants, including the nonprofit security grant program, which helped houses of worship protect themselves from violence. Republicans on this committee appear to want that on that action, want in on that action.
▶ 0:19:43Just read the Republicans press release about their vindictive investigation of American charities and this sham hearing. Republicans falsely accuse Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, Evangelical, Muslim, and secular charities that feed, clothe, and aid the needy of having quote supercharged the business model of cartels end quote.
▶ 0:20:10That is a slanderous accusation and fringe conspiracy theories with no basis in reality. Republicans sent out 215 letters falsely accusing organizations of wrongdoing even though most of the organizations don't receive federal dollars or provide direct services to migrants. This is a scare tactic plain and simple.
▶ 0:20:36Republican so-called investigation and today's hearing are shameful abuses of congressional power to bully people for how they choose to ex exercise their religion and help their fellow man. It's an attack on diverse faith-based organizations over their religious practices and is a threat to charities that do humanitarian work Republicans do not like.
▶ 0:21:04It does not surprise me that the chairman of this committee, Mark Green, is absent for his last full committee hearing before retiring to Guyana. I too would be embarrassed if I had to sign off on this hearing.
▶ 0:21:20What does surprise me is that my good friend Michael Guest, my colleague from Mississippi, a proud Sunday school teacher, is chairing a hearing that attacks Christianity and bullies private citizens over what they choose to do in lawful service in their communities. But that is the damage done uh Donald Trump and the mega Republicans have done to our country and to the Republican party.
▶ 0:21:49Republicans don't want to investigate who's really running things at DHS while Christy Gnome is filming all her commercials. They don't want to investigate what Donald Trump is hiding by restricting Congress's access to classified files. They don't want to investigate why the Trump administration deported sick American kids.
▶ 0:22:13and they don't want to investigate how thousands of calls from flood survivors in Texas went unanswered by FEMA. Instead, committee Republicans are attacking charities and religious organizations for providing food, clothing, and shelter to people in need. Let me be clear.
▶ 0:22:36Republicans have voted for years across multiple presidential administration to fund humanitarian programs that provide food, shelter, basic medical care, and transportation for migrants. That includes 10 Republican members of this committee, including every single Republican currently running to be the next chairman.
▶ 0:23:03Now suddenly they have a problem with a program they supported and they need a distraction. I might add the program they're actually came about under the Trump administration and somehow we say this is a Biden program but it was created when Donald Trump was president.
▶ 0:23:26Well, let me say it's shameful that Republicans on this committee are scapegoating charities and churches that help the needy just because some of the needed happen to be migrants. It's hypocritical that my colleagues across the aisle are attacking programs that authorized and funded.
▶ 0:23:46It's pitiful that Republicans would violate Americans First amendment rights to freedom of religion and association just to distract from Christy Gnome's failed natural disaster response. Donald Trump's illegal and cruel treatment of migrants and this administration weaponization of DHS.
▶ 0:24:08If committee Republicans truly wanted to oversee how DHS used the funding they supported to help local governments and charities would provide essential services to migrants, they would have invited FEMA here to testify since it administers the emergency food and shelter program. On that point, let me say we've been here since January 20th.
▶ 0:24:34We've had one administration witness come before this committee, one. And that was the FEMA administrator. We haven't seen anybody else in the third largest government would have invited Customs and Border Protection to testify since CBP worked with FEMA to establish the shelter and services program.
▶ 0:25:00Our Republicans would have invited Secretary Gnome to testify since the funding Republicans have questioned about flowed through DHS. Somehow Republicans forgot to ask Secretary Gnome about the spending during her only appearance before this committee this year. But Republicans did none of that.
▶ 0:25:24Instead, they invited a private panel of witnesses to perpetuate Republican attacks against organizations that are feeding, sheltering, and helping the least of our brothers and sisters. Many on the other side purport to be Christians, but their actions today do not square with anything I learned in church. This is a shameful spectacle, Mr. chairman and frankly it's unamerican.
▶ 0:25:54In closing, I want to say a word to the organizations being targeted by the other side. I know many of you are watching today and worried that your work is being disrupted by these baseless attacks and that people are suffering as a result.
▶ 0:26:14Please know that those of us on this side of the aisle support your constitutional right to live out your faith and act on the courage of your convictions as citizens of this great country. Nothing could be more American than that. Mr.
▶ 0:26:32Chairman, before I yield back, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from over 600 nonprofit and nonprofits and organizations who stand in opposition to this hearing and Republican attacks on the services and advocacy they provide Without objection, I'll be admitted into the record. I yield back.
▶ 0:26:59Other members of the committee are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record today. We are pleased to have a highly distinguished panel of witnesses before us. I would ask that our witnesses please rise and please raise your right hand. I will administer the oath.
▶ 0:27:24Do each of you solemnly swear the testimony that you will give before the Committee on Homeland Security of the United States House of Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So, help you Thank you. Let the record reflect that the witnesses have answered in the affirmative. Uh, and our witnesses, uh, thank you and please be seated. I would now like to take a moment to formally introduce our witnesses. First, I'd like to introduce Mike How.
▶ 0:27:53Mike is the president of the Oversight Project, which has done significant work through litigation and investigation to uncover information about the Biden border crisis. He served as oversight counsel at the Department of Homeland Security under the first Trump administration and has senior experience in different oversight positions on Capitol Hill. a graduate of Duke University and Emery Law School.
▶ 0:28:18How is also a board member of the National Immigration Center for Second, I'd like to introduce Ally Hopper. She is a nationally recognized expert in human trafficking and the president and founder of Guard Against Trafficking, an organization that conducts research and advoc advocacy to counter exploitation and human trafficking.
▶ 0:28:43She Arthur's Florida's landmark anti-grooming bill, now used as a model language in states across the country. She has testified before Congress on child trafficking and has delivered numerous congressional briefings on human trafficking. She conducts on the ground research in the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and has trained Interpool in South America.
▶ 0:29:08Has trained law enforcement officers here at home and policy makers across multiple states and countries. Last is Julio Rosas. He is an expert and a renowned national correspondent for Blaze Media.
▶ 0:29:27As a journalist, he has reported on the ground from the southwest border during the Biden border crisis and has uncovered many riots and protests and has covered many riots and protests across the across the country, notably those sparked by Antifa and the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020. Julio has previously served in the United States Marine Corps as a reserve. I want to thank all of our witnesses for being here.
▶ 0:29:57Uh I would now like to recognize Mr. How for five minutes to summarize his opening statement. Chairman, guest, members of the committee, thank you for having me here today to testify. My name is Mike Howell and I'm the president of the Oversight Project. I'm also a visiting fellow for the Heritage Foundation and a board member at the National Immigration Center for Enforcement.
▶ 0:30:19I especially thank you for giving me a platform to plead with members of this body, all on the Democrat side, to stand down on their threats against the men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The violence is getting out of control and it is fueled by the demagoguery of politicians.
▶ 0:30:37Whether it is one of your members telling Axios that there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public, another saying civility isn't working and to prepare for violence, or even a member of this committee being arrested for forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officials. This escalation deserves condemnation. It needs to stop and it needs to stop now. Assaults against ICE officers are up over 830%. And that's a lowball estimate.
▶ 0:31:07There have been violent incidents in Alvarado Mallen. Would suspend briefly? Yes, Mr. Uh, I got a point of order. Uh, pursuant to clause 2K8 of rule 11, I raise a point of order that this testimony is outside the scope of the hearing. I would object to that position, Mr. Chairman. That's absurd. I would object as well.
▶ 0:31:36Man has a man has a right to his five minutes of testimony. Clearly, the Democrats don't want to hear truth. I object to the ranking member's ridiculous position. Uh the point of order offered by the ranking member uh is not in order. Uh this individual has the opportunity to summarize his opening statement and the information upon which he used to form that opening statement. So the objection is overruled. Uh Mr.
▶ 0:32:06Chairman, uh if I may, obviously I'm going to appeal the ruling of the chair uh and ask for a vote, but again, you know, this guy has an opinion, Mr. Wait, do you Mr. Chair? No, I respect it. the the chair has ruled that his testimony is part of the basis upon which he is briefing this committee and it will be used to talk about his ultimate findings as it relates to the purpose of this committee.
▶ 0:32:36I understand your objection. The objection has been overruled. If you would like to challenge that, you're welcome to challenge that. Is the ranking member challenging the ruling of the chair? Uh Mr. Chairman, I challenge ruling of the chair. Is there a motion? Mr. Do I have a motion? What's that motion? Motion to table. There is a motion to table. Uh the gentleman has moved that the motion to table. This is privileged and non-debatable. So we will then Is there a second to the motion to table?
▶ 0:33:06I second motion and several seconds of the motion to table. All those in favor of tableabling the motion, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? And the ruling of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion is tabled. Mr. Chairman, I ask for a recorded vote as do I. A recorded vote has been requested.
▶ 0:33:29We would ask the clerk to please call the I know they're not going to like
▶ 0:34:19That's good.
▶ 0:34:50Uh the clerk will call the role and then once the role is called we will wait on additional members to arrive so that they can cast their vote. But the clerk can begin to call the role. Mr. McCall. Mr. Higgins. Mr. Higgins votes I. Mr. guest. I'm sorry, apologies. Mr. Jimenez, Mr. Jimenez votes I. Mr. Fluger, Mr.
▶ 0:35:19Garberino, Miss Green, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Latrell, Mr. Strong, Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Ricken Mr. Bikin votes I Mr. Crane Mr. Crane votes I Mr. Ogles Mr.
▶ 0:35:47Ogles votes I Mrs. Biggs Mrs. Biggs votes I Mr. Evans Mr. Evans votes I Mr. McKenzie Mr. Not ranking member Thompson. Ranking member Thompson votes nay. Mr. Mr. Koreah. Mr. Koreah votes no. Mr. Tanadar Mr. Tanadar votes no.
▶ 0:36:17Mr. Magaziner. Mr. Goldman. Mr. Goldman votes no. Mrs. Ramirez Mrs. Ramirez votes no. Mr. Kennedy Mr. Kennedy votes no. Miss McCyver Mrs. McCyver votes no. Miss Johnson Mr. Hernandez. Miss Poe. Mr. Carter.
▶ 0:36:48Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green
▶ 0:37:29things I do. Are
▶ 0:37:59there other members that wish to have their vote recorded? Mr. Clerk, how am I recorded? Uh, the chairman has not been recorded. I'd like to be recorded as an I. Chairman guest votes I. The clerk will report the tally. Mr. Chairman, on that vote there were nine eyes's and eight nos. The motion to table is agreed to.
▶ 0:38:32Any other issues that need to be taken up before Mr. How resumes his testimony? Uh, Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir. Mr. R. Uh, I'd like to ask unanimous consent that Miss Ansari from Arizona be permitted to sit with the committee and question today's Without objection, you will be allowed to sit and question witnesses, but not allowed to vote on any matters. Any other issues that need to be taken up? Mr.
▶ 0:39:01How, you are recognized once again to continue your summation of your opening statement. Thank you. reclaiming my time. The violence, obstruction, and subversion of the United States that is emanating from so-called non-governmental organizations, unwell individuals, some probably paid, and supported by the political mainstreaming of violent rhetoric from national politicians should not come as a surprise.
▶ 0:39:27We saw the writing on the wall during the Biden border crisis with the sick marriage between the government and so-called non-governmental organizations facilitating illegal immigration. The reason I call these groups socalled non-governmental organizations is because they for the most part draw funds from the government or have a preferential tax status from the government.
▶ 0:39:53They are more creatures of the government than they are Now, the United States of America is still reeling from the consequences of the worst border invasion in history. This was an invasion that was planned, promoted, encouraged, funded, and sustained by radical elements of the previous administration. This invasion could not have been accomplished without a colossal partnership between the government and open borders organizations.
▶ 0:40:22Simply put, under the Biden administration's open border policies, the government could only do so much to facilitate mass illegal immigration, welcome illegal aliens into the United States, and move them around the country. The Biden administration needed help. So they drove an estimated $6 billion dollar to a conglomerate of 15 UN agencies and over 200 nonprofits as recently calculated by the center for immigration studies to do the open borders work for them.
▶ 0:40:52Now my organization, the Oversight Project, has led the way on exposing this border industrial complex. In December of 22, we published the first of its kind study tracking the cell phone movement of illegal aliens through these organizations at the border. With only a small sample size of 30,000 devices, we found that these devices went to 431 congressional districts. That's nearly everywhere in the country.
▶ 0:41:17In New York, we discovered a taxpayer funded shelter providing false residency documents to illegals. In Mexico, we discovered flyers at an illegal alien staging camp encouraging illegals to remember to vote for Biden when they got in the US. In Arizona, we found a Mexican consulate official at an NGO advising illegals on how to lie to law enforcement and evade ICE.
▶ 0:41:40We have produced documentary evidence of non-citizens admitting on camera to being registered to vote in Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota, and North Carolina. This year, we obtained video evidence of an open borders organization in New York City hosting a seminar on how to evade ICE. This is the new trend. Open borders organizations are now in the obstruction of ICE business.
▶ 0:42:05Without the partnership and the money of the Biden administration, a blob of nonprofits, legal groups, and foot soldiers are taking to the streets to create or chaos. This makes sense because the goal has always been destabilization. This destabilization is happening right here around us.
▶ 0:42:25Incinidary and def defamatory protest rhetoric linked to the group 5051 and flare which is formerly the Mayday movement uh which did no kings which many members of this body promoted and party for socialism and liberation movements are some of the groups that are radicalizing individuals and inciting violence. And this only ends in violence.
▶ 0:42:46Now, the Oversight Project has asked this administration, the the President Trump's administration, to stop issuing permits for peaceful protest to non- peaceful groups. People should be able to go to work in DC without being spat on, assaulted, or having an air horn blown into their eardrums. This happens all the time. I know firsthand.
▶ 0:43:07In conclusion, I'd encourage you all to think broadly about the blob of various organizations and strategies that were involved in sustaining the Biden border crisis and also understand what is still happening today. I thank you for the opportunity to testify and I'm happy to answer any questions. Uh thank you, Mr. How.
▶ 0:43:27At this time, I'd like to recognize Miss Hopper for her five minutes to summarize her opening Chairman, guest, ranking member Thompson, and distinguished committee members, thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Ally Hopper, president and co-founder of Guard Against Trafficking, a nonprofit dedicated to combating human trafficking.
▶ 0:43:52As a Hispanic mother, I have held a six-year-old Colombian child in my arms, cold, dirty, and shaking, left to die at the border by the cartel. I have seen children that have crossed the border alone holding scraps of paper with sponsor information given to them by the cartels. When I testified in November, we discussed the exploitation of children at our border.
▶ 0:44:19Today, countless children continue to be neglected, abused, or trafficked by a system meant to protect them. We must ask, how was this allowed to happen? and what role did NOS's play? My research partner, Dr. Jared Sidolski, and I have conducted extensive field work, including interviewing incarcerated traffickers, cartel members, whistleblowers, and unaccompanied alien children themselves.
▶ 0:44:49An OR field specialist had visited a home to place a 17-year-old and reported serious concerns, most notably that the adult claiming to be the child's mother was adorned in MS13 tattoos. Despite these concerns, OR leadership overruled that specialist. Tragically, three months later, that child was found dead, his pants around his ankles with an older man passed out next to him.
▶ 0:45:19This heartbreaking case is not isolated. It highlights a system overwhelmed by both scale and mismanagement. Since 2008, over 20 billion dollars has been dispersed under the UAC program. Almost 14 billion of that in the last six years alone. Meaning over twothirds of funding was spent in just onethird of the program's lifespan.
▶ 0:45:45Yet despite this massive investment, hundreds of thousands of children remain unaccounted for as the US taxpayer dollars fueled a system hijacked by criminal networks. No bid billion-dollar contracts were awarded with little oversight while influx facilities became transportation hubs. A striking example is Endeavors.
▶ 0:46:07Their IRS filings show revenue soaring from 65 million in 2019 to 1.18 billion in 2022, driven almost entirely by federal contracts. During this time, CEO John Alman's salary rose from 292,000 to 730,000 with six figure executive surge bonuses added. Endeavors ended 2022 with a $112 million surplus.
▶ 0:46:38Andrew Lorenzan Strait, a former Biden transition official and ICE adviser, helped secure no bid federal contracts for Endeavors and was caught on camera calling the border crisis a boom for Inside Endeavors, leadership blocked critical safety protocols, resisted oversight, and silenced internal disscent. Our interviews with contracted auditors at Endeavor's Pico, Texas facility revealed disturbing findings.
▶ 0:47:08Male staff had been found inside female dorm rooms. An employee had led 150 teenage girls in sexually explicit routines, dance routines, teaching them how to twerk on multiple occasions. A female over 18 had been shielded from ICE. Others nearing 18 were released early to avoid transfer to ICE, and auditors were blocked from reviewing child sponsor placements. These abuses are not unique to endeavors.
▶ 0:47:38Similar patterns existed across multiple NOS. Federal contracts had prioritize speed over safety and rewarded output over Conditions which cartels exploited. A cartel operative in Tcate, Mexico, explained to us how children were routinely kidnapped and funneled into the US for profit.
▶ 0:48:04Cartels infiltrated NOS's along those smuggling routes, turning humanitarian pathways into trafficking pipelines. Weak sponsor vetting worsened this problem. An HHS audit later found that 70% of sponsor applications were fra fraudulent, making proper postplacement welfare checks nearly impossible.
▶ 0:48:30Recently, we discovered about 117 unaccompanied children believed to be trafficked on a farm in the Midwest where our intervention sparked a current investigation. These cases are emerging nationwide. Last week, ICE and CBP arrested about 361 illegal aliens at two cannabis farms in California, finding 10 unaccompanied children. So, where do we go from here? This is not about politics. It's about protecting children in confronting modern-day slavery.
▶ 0:49:00Good intentions and humanitarian missions must never excuse harm when policies enable exploitation, accountability, and decisive action must ensure it never happens again. Uh thank you uh Miss Hopper. Uh I now recognize Mr. Rosas for five minutes to summarize his opening statement. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak today about this important topic. I've been covering the US Mexico border as a reporter since 2019.
▶ 0:49:28I saw firsthand how secured the southern border was during President Trump's first term. I went on to be at the southern border for the next four years to document the deliberate and horrific open border policies implemented by the Biden Harris administration. The numbers don't lie, the videos don't lie. What our country experienced was a deliberate invasion at the behest of the previous administration.
▶ 0:49:50Their efforts could not have been possible without the non-governmental organizations who provided the federal government the ability to flood our country with people who brazenly cross our borders illegally. The NOS's located along the border were often the first place processed migrants went to after being released by border patrol. These organizations helped the Biden Harris administration avoid the bad optics of released migrants having to be on the street due to the large volume of overcrowding in certain sectors.
▶ 0:50:17Even with those efforts, the mass overcrowding still resulted in people sleeping on the streets, sometimes during the winter. Ultimately, the goal of these NOS's was to get people to their desired destination within the United States and get them settled in, even though their legal status was far from being secured. I would often see volunteers or staffers at the airport when I left the border guiding these processed migrants to ensure they made their flights. A few times, I saw them ushering unaccompanied minors.
▶ 0:50:43This is haunting to think back on now, knowing that Biden's HHS lost track of tens of thousands of miners once they reached their supposed final destination. By having this guaranteed help once they reach US soil, illegal aliens had greater incentive to put their lives in danger by traversing through the Darian Gap and cartel controlled territory in Mexico. One shelter in El Paso told me in 2023 around 80% of the women who had come to them had been raped, sometimes in front of their children.
▶ 0:51:13This highlights that despite the NOS's having the stated goal of helping these people, their help ends up harming the people who would go to use their services. Yes, they made it to the United States, but at what cost? Congress needs to ensure taxpayer dollars cannot be used to go towards enabling an invasion of our country ever again. It is a misuse of taxpayer dollars and most importantly, it's a betrayal to the American people. Our tax money should be going towards Americans first and foremost.
▶ 0:51:39Instead, millions of dollars went to organizations such as Catholic Charities and International Rescue Committee. The reason why it's important to not let this happen again is because the four-yearong border crisis facilitated by these NOS's is the reason why there are riots in sanctuary cities. Today, President Trump campaigned and won on carrying out mass deportations. And the American people want to undo the damage inflicted by the Biden Harris administration. NOS's have even made an appearance at the recent unrest happening in Los Angeles County.
▶ 0:52:07A recent example of this is federal agents arresting four people for interfering with an operation by allegedly placing homemade spikes on the road with the intention to damage their tires. On their person was a bag branded with the logo of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles. Congress needs to look into whether NOS's are supporting people directly or indirectly who are currently interfering with federal operations.
▶ 0:52:31I can tell you that while Americans are happy the border crisis is finally over, they want to see accountability and I believe Congress can make that accountability happen should you decide to act. And since I have a few uh a little bit of time left, I want to say I'm here testifying today as a proud Latino, but most importantly, I'm here as an American citizen. This is my country. This is my home. This is where I grew up in. And that is why the rhetoric coming from one side of the aisle about these operations saying, "No, no, no.
▶ 0:52:58We got to keep our cheap labor so that we can maintain our standard of living proves that they want to view Latinos simply as a underclass to siphon votes from and fearmonger from every time that there's an election. They're content with keeping us as that servant underclass. And that is why it is disgusting to see them criticize that recent raid in Ventura County where they found unaccompanied minors working alongside convicted sex offenders at a cannabis farm. No, we got to keep them there because or else how else are we going to get high if we can't have unaccompanied minors harvest our weed?
▶ 0:53:27It's quite frankly despicable. And the last thing I want to say is is that the last time I appeared before this committee, uh, we had one member say that Antifa is just an ideology. It's not a movement by using an outdated quote from the FBI director. Well, coming back from Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland just this past month with the recent riots, I can tell you that Antifa is very real and the fact that they are also connected to that recent attempted ambush at that ICE facility in Texas. So, I just wanted to reflect for the record that I was right then. Um, right now that Antifa is very real and they're very dangerous.
▶ 0:53:57Thank Thank you. And I want to thank all of our witnesses uh again for being here and for their opening statements. Um, members will be recognized by order of seniority for their five minutes of questioning. An additional round of questioning may be called after all members have been recognized. I'd like to recognize the gentleman from the great state of Louisiana, Klay Higgins, for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the panelists for being here today.
▶ 0:54:24Let me ask you all a yes or no question and we're going to build this thing out. Do you believe if if an employee or an agent of an NGO that is implicated in um child trafficking in a criminal investigation?
▶ 0:54:47If they cross the threshold of reasonable suspicion and they're investigated and that leads to uh the jurisdictional authority, the investigative authority uh developing probable cause. So they cross the threshold of probable cause and they're arrested.
▶ 0:55:08And then they're and if they're convicted, they cross a threshold of guilty beyond a reasonable and they are convicted. You're talking about an employee of an NGO that participated willingly during the last four years with the trafficking of human beings, including children that were destined to be trafficked into the the
▶ 0:55:38sex trade, Mr. How do you think that employee, that NGO should be convicted and incarcerated based upon the judicial system and the criminal justice system I just described? Yes or no? Miss Hopper. Mr. Rosas. Well, I concur.
▶ 0:56:00And much to the chagrin of a of a whole abhorren industry of child trafficking that prospered from the open border policies of the Biden administration for four years 2021 22 23 and 24 much to the chagrin of these people that made bank man we're coming after
▶ 0:56:30and and the and and this executive branch is building criminal files. So, I hope they're watching and I hope they're frightened and I hope they're getting their affairs in order, hiring their liberal attorneys to defend them, starting to shuffle their money around. We'll find it. Mr.
▶ 0:56:53How are you aware that ongoing right now right now in our country of DHS, ICE, FBI, local and state law enforcement agencies working on classified operations to locate, find and rescue trafficked tender age, mostly girls. We're talking about girls 14 and younger across the country that were trafficked into our country in 2021, 22, 23, and 24. Are you aware that those operations are ongoing?
▶ 0:57:24Yes, sir. They're trying to find the children the Biden administration lost. Thank you, Mr. How Miss Opera. Are you I am. Mr. Rosas, correct? I'm aware. Would you Thank you. Would you be surprised that according to my research which which will very soon be be revealed next week, they've rescued so far 35,000 tender age kids. How you like that?
▶ 0:57:55Now, according to Miss Hopper's research, which I find fascinating, and everybody up here should, of the documentation turned in by so-called sponsors, which were lined up by who? The NOS's. Through who? Primarily HHS. There's a pipeline, man.
▶ 0:58:17We fed a pipeline of of tender age children into sex trafficking and slave labor into our We're finding these kids. We're tracking this this this fraudulent documents. You're right, Miss Hopper. My research showed a little bit less 65%. You said 70%. I'll go with 70. So So be advised. be advised.
▶ 0:58:47We are building out case files, criminal case files. We're interviewing these 35,000 kids, and we're finding out exactly what the hell happened, how they ended up in the nightmare where they were, and we're rescuing more. And there's nothing anybody can do about it. We're going to identify these children. We're locating these children. We're rescuing these children.
▶ 0:59:07And we're building out criminal files based upon the testimony of these young teenagers and the documentation of fraudulent and many of these NGO employees are going to find themselves wearing orange be that new favorite color. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the indulgement. I yield. Gentlemen yields. The chair chair now recognizes ranking member Thompson for his five minutes of questioning. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr.
▶ 0:59:37Chairman, you and I both are from Mississippi and we know all too well the sense of devastation and hopelessness experienced by disaster survivors. The many many of the nonprofits uh the majority is attacking today under your leadership are the very people who rush to support our constituents in their darkest days.
▶ 1:00:00It is a disappointing way to begin your tenure as chairman if your conference does in fact select you for that post. Mr. Chairman, you have read the same reporting I have. You've heard the same whispers of concern about the administration's action decimating staff across the department. And you've seen the horrific results of the department's gross incompetence in just s six short months.
▶ 1:00:31As of July 4th weekend began, the deadliest floods in Texas history were wreaking havoc in communities across the state. Over 130 people died, including nearly 30 campers and counselors at an all girls Christian summer camp.
▶ 1:00:49Now, we know that because of Secretary Gnome's policies, FEMA's urban search and rescue teams were not deployed until at least 72 hours after the flooding began, and FEMA's recovery center contracts were allowed to to to Disaster survivors called FEMA for help, but it answered only 35% of their calls.
▶ 1:01:18As Texans suffered, Secretary Gnome was posting glamour shots for her South Dakota official portrait on Instagram. Apparently, federal disaster response can wait, but Instagram posts cannot.
▶ 1:01:34President Reagan once said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language were, I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Secretary Gnome's DHS has proven that it's far scarier when you call the government for help and no one answers.
▶ 1:01:53The Secretary has also allowed ICE to execute racist immigration raids, haphazardly rounding up Americans and migrants alike based on skin color, innasticity, and the language someone speaks. She has defied court orders to halt deportation and timely returns wrongly deported individuals.
▶ 1:02:18Worst of all, the secretary has overseen the deportation of American citizen children, including a four-year-old with cancer, which I suppose is something you might expect from someone who's proud of shooting her puppy in the face. The secretary has empowered unqualified mega lackey to manage critical anti-terrorism operation charged with protecting our communities from hatefilled violence.
▶ 1:02:48As we face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the secretary has harassed nearly 1,000 cyber expert at CISA into quitting their jobs and eliminating its election security work because the president is still upset that he lost the 2020 election.
▶ 1:03:08Though she might have been reluctant to respond to the multiple oversight requests made by committed Democrats, she's managed to find time to go on television to gaslight the public. Secretary Gnome has a lot of answers for Republicans have impeached cabinet secretaries for less for noting. In fact, for those reasons, Mr.
▶ 1:03:32Chair, pursuant to clause 2K6 of rule 11, I move that the committee subpoena department of homeland security secretary Christy Lynn known. Gentleman yield back. I for the gentleman yields back. Uh is there a motion? Move to table the motion. There is a motion to table.
▶ 1:04:05Uh the committee will suspend at this
▶ 1:05:05Mr. Chairman, Jim is recognized. Parliamentary inquiry. Are we waiting on Waiting on members to return to the committee room. So will you entertain that request from uh the minority when uh we don't have enough members to defeat to defeat a should be here is going the committee hearing at this point is in suspension per the rules.
▶ 1:05:34I have the ability to call us into suspension and that's where we are at this point. No, I understand. I'm just wondering if you're going to do it similarly and equally for the minority or you're just going to make it for the majority. quality, quality. Mr. Chairman, um uh I know this is your maiden voyage, but uh there's a motion on the floor and uh you can't recess a motion because members are not here.
▶ 1:06:03The the committee is not in recess, Ranking Member Thompson. Well, that's what you said. I'm sorry. The committee has been Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir. Mr. Thompson. Um, you know, I there's a motion before the committee and uh um I ask that my motion be uh acted on.
▶ 1:06:33You can't suspend it or do anything like that. That's not the rules.
▶ 1:07:28Mr. Chairman, the rules don't uh of this committee don't allow for just to stop. Uh and and I'm just asking that we uh go forward with the motion. The the the chair has already explained where where we are at this point, Mr. Thompson, and until additional members return to the chamber, uh we will not be moving forward.
▶ 1:07:58you know, I I'm just saying that if we following the rules of the committee, what you're doing is not in the rules. Your point has been made and is in the record that you do not feel that I'm following the rules. That has been made clear, Mr. Thompson. And so you can continue to make that uh and continue to put that in the record if you would like. Can you cite to us what rule allows for you to suspend until members return?
▶ 1:08:29Parliamentary inquiry. the people. That's how we break rules all day here. Law and order, folks.
▶ 1:09:07Mr. Chairman, I ask parliamentary Yes, Mr. Gman. Can you please cite the rule of the committee that allows you to suspend the hearing to wait for members to come for a vote? I assume you want to follow the rules of the committee as the chairman. As I understand, Mr. Gman, it's at the chair's discretion. I have used that and I have suspended. I understand that you and Mr.
▶ 1:09:37Thompson and other members may not be happy with that, but that is the decision that No, I just want you to follow the rules. I simple question. I assume you want to follow the rules as the as the uh acting So presumably there's a rule that you can cite to that allows you to do this. There is no general discretion of the chair to do whatever the chair wants to do.
▶ 1:10:03That is not a rule in the House of All
▶ 1:10:37right. At this time, the motion before the chair is a motion to table. That motion to table is privileged. That motion is nondebatable. All those in favor of the motion to table, please signify by saying I. I. Any oppose, please signify by saying no.
▶ 1:11:04The chair rules that the eyes have it and that the motion prevails. I'm assuming that there is a request for a recorded vote. Is that correct, Mr. There is a request for a recorded vote. There has been a request for a recorded We'll let our clerk become get situated.
▶ 1:11:36Mr. Clerk, would you please call the role? Mr. McCall. Mr. Higgins Mr. Higgins votes I. Mr. Jimenez I. Mr. Jimenez votes I. Mr. Fluger. Mr. Fluger votes I. Mr. Garberino Mr. Garberino votes I. Miss Green. Mr. Gonzalez.
▶ 1:12:09Mr. Latrell. Mr. Latrell votes I. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Bkin I. Mr. Bkine votes I. Mr. Crane. Mr. Crane votes I. Mr. Ogles Mr. Ogles votes I. Mrs. Biggs Mrs. Biggs votes I. Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans votes I. Mr. McKenzie.
▶ 1:12:40Mr. Knott. Ranking member Thompson. Nay. Ranking member Thompson votes no. Mr. Swallwell. Mr. Koreah. Mr. Koreah votes no. Mr. Tanadar. Mr. Tanadar votes no. Mr. Magaziner Mr. Magaziner votes no. Mr. Goldman Mr. Goldman votes no. Mrs. Ramirez Mrs. Ramirez votes no. Mr.
▶ 1:13:09Kennedy Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs. Macccyver, Mrs. McCyver votes no. Miss Johnson, Miss Johnson, votes no. Mr. Hernandez, Miss Poe, Miss Poe, votes no. Mr. Carter, Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green.
▶ 1:13:53What you got? Mr. Clerk, how am I recorded? Uh, the chairman is not recorded. Uh, the chair votes I. Chairman guest votes I.
▶ 1:14:16Are there other members who wish to have their vote recorded or to change her Seeing none, would the clerk please report the tally of the vote? Mr. Mr. Chairman, on that vote there were 12 eyes and 11 nos. The motion passes. Point of order. Can we please uh have the list of uh I votes read to us and members that voted The members that voted I are as follows. Mr. Higgins, Mr.
▶ 1:14:45Jimenez, Mr. Fluger, Mr. Garberino, Mr. Latrell, Mr. Strong, Mr. Bkine, Mr. Crane, Mr. Ogles, Mrs. Biggs, and Mr. Evans, and Chairman Guest. Were all present to cast their votes? Mr. Clark, were all present and cast for votes to your knowledge?
▶ 1:15:15Yes, all were present in the room when they voted. Thank you. The ranking member uh has yielded back. Uh at this time, I would recognize myself for my five minutes of questioning. I want to respond to some of the allegations contained in the ranking members opening statement.
▶ 1:15:45And Mr. Thompson, I'm assuming you didn't write that statement because you have known me for some period of time. Uh I know you to be someone who uh that I have a long-standing relationship with and do not believe that you would write an opening statement attacking mine or the Christianity of any other member of this committee. I don't believe that you would weaponize my religious beliefs.
▶ 1:16:10I don't believe that you would criticize me because I choose to teach Sunday school in my church. and to somehow say that because I'm a Sunday school, because I'm a Christian, uh that me being a part of this hearing uh somehow in some way flies in the face of my religious beliefs.
▶ 1:16:31Because what we're doing here today is we are not casting a broad net on every non-governmental organization, every We are instead focusing this hearing on those who have profited off of the illegal immigration that we saw under the Biden Harris administration.
▶ 1:16:51I have mentioned nothing in my statement about nonprofits such as Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Samaritan's Purse, Doctors Without Borders, nonprofits who actually take money and use it for the good, who are out there collecting money from their congregation, from members of the community who wish to give back.
▶ 1:17:18Instead, this hearing is focused on those handful of nonprofits who received their money almost exclusively from grants from the federal government, but yet still claimed to be Miss Hopper, you mentioned two of those and your written testimony. Two that I referenced in my opening statement.
▶ 1:17:40Uh those two being Endeavors who according to my information that I received, Endeavors received 97% of their funding from federal or local grants. They weren't out raising money. They weren't out there ringing the bell there at Christmas asking people to give money. They weren't in churches asking members of the congregation to please give to these organizations.
▶ 1:18:12They were instead an arm of the federal government and that they received 97% of their And then Southwest Key Properties was an NGO that blew past that. 99% of their funding came from grants from the federal government. And what did these organizations do with that?
▶ 1:18:40You talk about in your testimony, Miss Hopper, you talk about Endeavor that in 2020, Endeavor reported $52 million in revenue. that in 2021 they reported $658 million in revenue. A $600 million increase in a year with 97% of that money coming from the federal government.
▶ 1:19:07And then in 2022 they reported a record $1.18 from the federal government or at least 97% of that. You talk about how executives for Endeavor patted their that with this increase in revenue comes increase in salary that the compensation for the CEO doubled.
▶ 1:19:35You talk about these particular CEOs that I mentioned instead of using that money to protect children they were treating this money like venture You also stated in there that an individual, someone within their organization said that the border crisis was a boom for business.
▶ 1:20:01In an article from the New York Post, they talk about another one of these nonprofits. They talk about Southwest Key. The headline says, "Texas nonprofit housing migrant kids took three billion in grants from Biden administration and boosted executive salaries up to 139% to pull the plug." And so I am offended when people from the other side say that we're not
▶ 1:20:31being Christian, that we don't want to help people. We're not saying that all nonprofits are bad. Many of us support and give money and volunteer to those. But this hearing today is focused on those nonprofits which were government funded, which were used by the Biden Harris administration to continue to move people across the against the will of the public and without the authorization
▶ 1:21:01of Congress. So with that, I yield back uh and I now recognize my friend from California, Mr. Carrer, for five minutes for his questioning of the witnesses. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I do hope to continue to work with you as a friend here in this committee. I would also though want to point out that uh some of our witnesses have to be careful with the testimony. Uh Mr.
▶ 1:21:27Rosa has pointed out Catholic Charities as being one of those organizations that receive funding. I'm a Catholic. I'm kind of disappointed in that. Because of what the chairman said. This Catholic Charities is does good work and you pointed out somebody who got money to do something that was unethical or illegal. Thank you.
▶ 1:21:57But Mr. Chairman, big job here of this committee is oversight. Okay. Homeland Security's budget is doubled. The mission as was pointed out some of the witnesses here today was to go after undocumented criminals. Yet back home every day, we're a peaceful, loving community.
▶ 1:22:26Masked ICE agents, no badge, no identification, grabbing people off the streets on the suspicion that they may be undocumented. Today, 70% of those apprehended undocumented are not criminals. They're hardworking taxpayers.
▶ 1:22:51a pastor in Florida that had been here for 20 years with a stay of removal was arrested. All of you've known, told you the story. I'll tell you again. Father 25 years, not a traffic ticket to his name. Father of three Marines was apprehended.
▶ 1:23:16recently raided a church in California I thought we're supposed to go after What authority does DHS have to go after Are these the right people? Not quite sure. Are we creating a national federal police here with unlimited powers?
▶ 1:23:43But you know, let's not talk about undocumented here. Let's talk about US citizens, okay? Countless US citizens being detained in this country in my district.
▶ 1:23:59an attorney, woman, female, walking down Centennial Park, apprehended by ICE, did not touch, did not do anything offensive to the ICE agent, was arrested, put in a van with no windows, cuffed, taken to a detention center for What are we coming to? Many stories like that.
▶ 1:24:27US citizens being detained by ICE not for a few hours but for a few days. So are US citizens speaking with an accent? US citizens. Do we have do I have to carry around a a passport now? Do I have to tell children that are American citizens to have their ID and passports with them? Is that what we're coming to? Mr. Mr. Chairman, I want to work with you. Let's work on oversight.
▶ 1:24:58Okay. A lot of these ICE agents, their performance are probably going to rely on that defense called qualified immunity when they do things like violate our constitutional rights. What's our defense for not doing a job of oversight? Facial recognition technology.
▶ 1:25:21Now everybody now citizens or not US facial recognition technology without your permission without a warrant. We should Mr. Chairman today have Todd Lions acting director of Vice come before this committee and explain what's going on. Mr. Chairman pursuant to clause 2 subk sub6 of rule 11 I move that the committee subpoena Mr.
▶ 1:25:49Todd Lions, the acting director of Vice. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, I move the table. Uh, there is a motion to table. Mr. Cra, do you yield back at this point? And the gentleman yields back. The gentleman from Florida has moved to table. The motion is privileged and is All those in favor of the motion to table, please signify by stating I.
▶ 1:26:20Any opposed signify by stating no. In the opinion of the chairs, the eyes have it. Is there a request, Mr. Ranking Request for Mr. Koreah, for a recorded We will allow the clerk a moment to
▶ 1:26:53A recorded vote in this matter has been called. Mr. Clerk, if you would please call the role. Mr. Green of Tennessee. Mr. McCall, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Mr. Jimenez. Mr. Jimenez votes I. Mr. Fluger. Mr. Fluger votes I. Mr. Garberino. Mr. Garberino votes I. Miss Green.
▶ 1:27:24Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Latrell. Mr. Latrell votes I. Mr. Strong. Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Bin. Mr. Bkine votes I. Mr. Crane. Mr. Crane votes I. Mr. Ogles. Mr. Ogles votes I. Mrs. Biggs. Mrs. Biggs votes I. Mr. Evans.
▶ 1:27:56Mr. McKenzie. Mr. Kn I. Mr. Knott votes I. Ranking member Thompson. Nay. Ranking member Thompson votes no. Mr. Suwell. Mr. Koreah. Mr. Koreah votes no. Mr. Tanadar, Mr. Tannidar votes no. Mr. Magaziner. Mr. Goldman. Mr. Goldman votes no. Mrs.
▶ 1:28:25Ramirez, Mrs. Ramirez votes no. Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs. Macccyver, Mrs. Macyver votes no. Miss Johnson Miss Johnson votes no. Mr. Hernandez. Miss Poe. Miss Poe votes no. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green of Texas.
▶ 1:28:59Are there other members who wish to have their vote recorded? Mr. Mr. Evans is not recorded. Mr. Evans votes I. Mr. Clerk, how is the chair recorded? The chair is The chair is not recorded. Mr. Chair, Mr. Magazino recorded. Mr. Mr. Magazine. Mr. Magazino recorded. Mr. Magazer was not recorded. Mr. Magazino, how would you like to be recorded? No. Mr.
▶ 1:29:29Magazino is recorded as a no. Mr. Magaziner votes no.
▶ 1:30:08Mr. Clerk, how's the chair recorded? The chair has not been recorded. Chair votes I. Chairman guest votes I. The clerk will report the total. On that vote, Mr. Chairman, there were 12 eyes's and 11 nos. The motion is not successful. The motion, excuse me, the motion is successful and is agreed to. Uh, at this point, I would recognize my friend from the state of Florida, Mr.
▶ 1:30:37Gimenez, for his five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, Miss Hopper, how many how many children do you think that, uh, that DHS basically lost and didn't have track of during the four years of the Biden administration that were admitted into the United States?
▶ 1:31:00Uh, the reports vary, but as of the last number that we were made aware of was over 325,000 children that went unaccounted for. children are not accounted for. So the my colleagues on the other side don't want to speak about this hearing. They want nothing to do with this hearing. All right? Why?
▶ 1:31:23because of the and one of the greatest failures in American history uh of the Biden administration I believe was in not keeping track of and and it wasn't like the folks that sit on the other side of this aisle weren't made aware by people sitting on this side of the aisle that it was
▶ 1:31:53you know they failed to do anything or or speak out against really this atrocity that was happening to the children that were coming through the border. So this hearing is about the enrichment of certain um you know NOS's and and their part in this tragedy. Uh but also one thing that we haven't talked about is really not only did did this administration enrich a lot of these NOS's and I'm not painting them all the same.
▶ 1:32:23I'm Catholic. All right. So, you know, and I'm a really good friend of Mark Arcbishop in my in uh in Miami. All right. You know, we have dinner and all that. So, I I know the great work that they do, but I know there's also bad apples in there, but also the billions of dollars that flowed to the Mexican cartels through human trafficking.
▶ 1:32:48And all of it, all of it, and you heard, this is not the first time you're going to hear me say it, was done on purpose because you can't be that stupid. You can't be that dumb.
▶ 1:33:04And so the Biden administration lost track of 300,000 people, children, all right, probably lost track of millions of other people, migrants, you know, in the United States as they were being trafficked all all around. Some indentured servants, the children, indentured servants, and even worse in the sex trade. All done on purpose.
▶ 1:33:32That has to be one of the biggest scandals in American history. And that's why my colleagues on the other side are running for the hills. But you can run, but you can't hide. And you can't justify the inexcusable. And it's not like we didn't tell them. And it wasn't like I wasn't here for four years telling them, hey, this is this is happening and it's done on purpose. And a lot of my colleagues here were doing the same thing. and they just ran away.
▶ 1:34:02And now they're trying to say, "Well, I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk about what we're talking about today." And so what we're trying to guess, bring to light is we want to make sure this never happens again. And yeah, we need to bring it to light right now because it wasn't going to be brought to light under the Biden All right? And and make sure that it never happens again.
▶ 1:34:28And I thank God that we have President Trump in office who has controlled the border and so the cartels aren't getting richer by the minute using human trafficking uh and that our children th those children aren't being exploited. And so again, what can we do to make sure this never happens again? Miss Hopper, thank you for your question. I actually had compiled a couple of policy recommendations.
▶ 1:34:58Now there are more than what I pro that I can provide. But first of all, we need to initiate forensic audits of all ORR contracts over hund00 and potentially suspend funding until completed along with implementing full clawback provisions for unspent funds and mandate independent federal oversight, standardized tracking, and thorough home studies for UAC Thank you.
▶ 1:35:27And I hope that we as a as a as a committee can take those recommendations and and put them into legislation. And I hope it would be a bipartisan uh effort because what's happening to those children uh is definitely a crime. Thank you. And I yield back. Uh the gentleman yields back. Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Point of order. Point of order. Thank you.
▶ 1:35:46Uh, I ask unanimous consent to include into the record this Republican press release from this committee saying that uh, Catholic Charities and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops is in fact uh, under without objection he'll be admitted. Chair now recognize a gentleman from the state of Michigan, Dr. Thanodar, for his five minutes of question.
▶ 1:36:12Thank you, chair, and thank you, ranking Today, I speak as a representative of the American people who desire accountability, transparency, and My Republican colleagues on this committee continue to discuss fabricated allegations and are intimidating nos, a step straight out of the authoritarian playbook.
▶ 1:36:36If they want to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse, this committee should in instead focus on DHS Inspector General Joseph Kufari's failure to uphold his office's core principles of accountability, transparency, and integrity. The position of Inspector General is a vital one. IG's are tasked with ensuring the agency they oversee remains honest and lawful.
▶ 1:37:04During a period when the DHS is riddled with incompetence and abuse of law, the inspector general is e so important. However, it is clear that Mr. Kufari is incapable of holding DHS responsible due to his own disregard for accountability.
▶ 1:37:25IG Kafari misused 1.4 million in taxpayer dollars by hiring a private law firm to investigate his own employees in retaliation for their criticism of his qualifications. He ultimately had to pay one of those employees 1.7 million settlement. Inspector generals are supposed to protect whistleblowers from not be the source of retaliation.
▶ 1:37:56The IG misrepresented himself during his confirmation process by failing to disclose when asked that at the time of his retirement from the Justice Department, he was under investigation by the DOJ's Office of Inspector General for ethics violations.
▶ 1:38:17Furthermore, he provided inaccurate and misleading answers with respect to possible misconduct when he was a federal law enforcement officer. We also know that Mr. Kufari routinely deleted text messages from his own governmentissued phone, a violation of federal recordkeeping laws.
▶ 1:38:39Lastly, he continuously obstructed this committee's work by refusing to respond to inquiries and blocking his employees from appearing for transcribed interviews. Investigating all of these uh controversies, the Council of Inspector General on Integrity and Efficiency, an office then run by a Trump appointed inspector general, found that Mr.
▶ 1:39:06Kafari had abused his authority and engaged in substantial misconduct, recommending that President Biden fire him. Mr. Kafari's tenure as inspector general has been marked by fraud, waste, and abuse.
▶ 1:39:21He has rendered the very watchdog office meant to protect DHS from abuse and untrustworthy and in inefficient for the sake of accountability and for the sake of public trust in government. This committee must demand more from the inspector general and hold him Mr.
▶ 1:39:44Chair, pursuant to clause 2K6 of rule 11, I move that committee subpoena DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Kafari to appear before this committee to provide sworn testimony and to produce all relevant documents regarding his performance as the DHS Inspector Mr. I move to table. I yield back. Uh gentleman yields back.
▶ 1:40:13There has been a motion from Mr. Gimenez from Florida to table. Uh the gentleman that moves the table, that motion is privileged and is non-debatable. All those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. All those opposed signify by saying no. The ruling of the chairs is that the eyes prevail. Is there a motion for a recorded vote? Dr. Kennedar. Yes. It a motion for a recorded vote has been made.
▶ 1:40:42If we will take a moment to allow the clerk to return to his position. Would the clerk please call the role? Mr. Green of Tennessee. Mr. McCall. Mr. Higgins. Mr. Jimenez. Mr. Mr. Jimenez votes I.
▶ 1:41:14Mr. Fluger. Mr. Fluger votes I. Mr. Garberino. Mr. Garberino votes I. Miss Green. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Latrell. Mr. Latrell votes I. Mr. Strong Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Been Mr. Mr. Been votes I. Mr. Crane, Mr.
▶ 1:41:43Crane votes I. Mr. Ogles I Mr. Ogles votes I. Mrs. Biggs Mrs. Biggs votes I. Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans votes I. Mr. McKenzie. Mr. Not I. Mr. KN votes I.
▶ 1:42:11Ranking member Ranking member Thompson votes no. Mr. Mr. Koreah Mr. Koreah votes no. Mr. Tanadar Mr. Tanadar votes no. Mr. Magaziner. Mr. Goldman. Mr. Goldman votes no. Mrs. Ramirez Mrs. Ramirez votes no. Mr. Kennedy no. Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs.
▶ 1:42:40McCyver Mrs. Macccyver votes no. Miss Johnson. Miss Johnson votes no. Mr. Hernandez. Miss Poe. Miss Poe votes no. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green of Texas.
▶ 1:43:15How am I recorded? I'm sorry. I didn't see who the request was from. Mr. Swallwell. Swallwell is not recorded. Mr. Swallwell votes no. Mr. Clerk, how's the chair recorded? The chair has not been recorded. Chair votes I. Chairman guest votes I.
▶ 1:43:49Are there other any other members who wish to be recorded? How is Higgins recorded? Mr. Mr. Higgins was not recorded. I'm an I. Mr. Higgins votes I. Any additional members who wish to be recorded on this vote? The clerk will tally and report the On that vote, Mr. Chairman, there were 13 eyes and 11 nos. The motion is agreed to.
▶ 1:44:21At this time, the chair would recommend uh recognize for uh five minutes of his questioning, Mr. Fluger from the great state of Texas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Never been so disappointed to sit in a partisan hearing. I mean, what what a what a joke.
▶ 1:44:38And let me just let me just uh correct the record for the gentleman from Mississippi talking about the floods in Texas and FEMA not being there. False. Completely false. They were there. I don't think the ranking member was there. I was there.
▶ 1:45:06Several people on this committee were So the assertion that FEMA was not there, you want to politicize something, go politicize something else. But that's out of bounds. What a tragedy. And to try to take advantage of that in this here in this space, the homeland security space formed after 911.
▶ 1:45:34What a tragic statement to make. I mean, of all the things and we kind of knew the politization was coming, but for it to happen in this committee, secretary was there multiple times. FEMA director was engaged everywhere. People on this committee were recovering and searching for bodies. I I I'm I'm just I'm shocked.
▶ 1:46:04Totally shocked at that statement. You know where else my colleagues on the other side of the aisle were not? They weren't at the border for the last four years. I was there. I'd like to seek unanimous consent to submit for the record two videos from the Darien Gap from Model in 2023. Mr. Chairman, without objection.
▶ 1:46:25These videos show the children that are walking through only one Democrat accepted the offer to go to that Kodell to go see firsthand. Only one. The entire subcommittee was invited and yet only one. And he's no longer a member. Only one. And you know how many hearings we had at the border from 2021 and 2022? Zero. You know how many hearings we had on border security from 2021 to 2022?
▶ 1:46:55Zero. So, it's pretty rich to hear the assertions from the gentleman from Mississippi that the FEMA director is not involved in flooding, that DHS is not involved in flooding. Um, Miss Hopper, in your testimony, you talk about unprecedented trafficking due to lack sponsor vetting. And you also talk about alarming conditions and falsified records.
▶ 1:47:24I'm going to give you two minutes to the lack of sponsor vetting that led to the abuse of children at a level that has that is completely unprecedented and be specific. Thank you for your for your time.
▶ 1:47:42Um, when we're talking about sponsor vetting, when I spoke with a retired Border Patrol agent, he had said that the requirements to adopt a dog that was about to be euthanized were higher than the standards and the documents that needed to be provided for an adult to sponsor a child.
▶ 1:48:06He went through more hoops to adopt a dog than what people would go through to sponsor a child when it only takes two phone calls to verify that someone picks up on the other line. Voice verification or you receive a photograph of an identification through WhatsApp with no facial match to the person sending the photograph.
▶ 1:48:32When people talk about doing better job in Photoshop with fake IDs than what the documents they received in a picture of an ID and no meaningful background checks on these sponsors.
▶ 1:48:48When you have children that are unaccompanied and as a mother, as a Christian, as a Hispanic, you have children being sent to known pedophiles, known gang members, known individuals with criminal backgrounds. That is what led to this. Thank you.
▶ 1:49:11Every single person that was on this committee from 2021 to 20 to the end of President Biden's presidency went to the border multiple times, multiple times, and saw these atrocities that were happening firsthand, talked to these kids, saw the ones that were left in the brush.
▶ 1:49:31So, it's pretty rich to say that we shouldn't be looking at NOS's that had a role that were culpable and complicit in not vetting people or not doing the appropriate work. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Thank you for holding this here and I yield back. Gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Swallwell.
▶ 1:49:56Nobody asked for the cruel deportations that we're seeing right We were promised that violent criminals, the worst in our community, would be I'm good with that. I don't want violent criminals who are undocumented in our community. I'll help with that. put out a list of a thousand people.
▶ 1:50:27Most Americans are up for getting those folks out of our community. We were promised the worst would be What we have found is that rather than focusing on the worst offenders in our community, this administration arrested a six-year-old battling leukemia and detained that six-year-old in the crulest, harshest
▶ 1:50:57conditions. ICE detains six-year-old leukemia patient and his family, even though they followed every immigration rule. In detention, the children cried every night, according to the family's attorney. The woman's six-year-old son also experienced bruising and bone pain, both symptoms of leukemia, and missed an appointment related to his cancer treatment. His sister barely ate. Don't give me this Christian nonsense that I've heard from some of these witnesses.
▶ 1:51:27I'm a Christian. I'm a father. I'm from a law enforcement family. I was a This is not who we are. This is not what any American signed up for. This administration deported a 4-year-old American citizen battling They arrested a US marshal. They're not up for this job.
▶ 1:51:57They're just up for the cruelty, for owning the libs. They're not serious about protecting our communities from the And these ICE agents running around our communities like masked bank robbers, terrorizing women, they're going to get themselves hurt.
▶ 1:52:21And I hope that doesn't And we're already seeing women are being targeted by people who are impersonating ICE agents. I hope every state that is able to and every community that is able to unmasks ICE with their policies. If you're standing on the law, you can show your face.
▶ 1:52:47The FBI, they're probably doing a search and seizure right now at some dangerous criminal's home. They're not masked. They loudly on their blue jackets have that yellow insignia that says FBI. No other law enforcement agency in America runs around our communities masked. It's time that we unmask ICE.
▶ 1:53:20This is an administration that does not want to be held accountable. Secretary Gnome does not want to come in and testify. Steven Miller certainly doesn't want to sit in that chair and defend putting this six-year-old battling leukemia into deportation proceedings. Tom Hman doesn't want to come here and defend why he thinks it's okay to target people based on their accent and the color of their skin. Yes, he said that.
▶ 1:53:50Thankfully, a California court has shut that down and hopefully more lawsuits are brought across America to shut that down. But my Republican colleagues in Congress, they don't work for the They are theoretically an independent branch of government, article one, the preeminent branch of government. So why do they go for this? Why do they enable this?
▶ 1:54:18Why aren't they outraged that this six-year-old boy was in a condition where children are crying every night and experiencing bone pain as he fights cancer? This issue is pretty simple. Go after the worst and protect the most vulnerable, the ones who are contributing to our community.
▶ 1:54:43So if our Republican colleagues are not up for holding the administration then Democrats will. So Mr. Chairman, pursuant to clause 2K6 of Rule 11, I move that the committee subpoena White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser Steven Miller. Gentlemen, yield back. Is there a motion? Motion to table. There has been a motion to record.
▶ 1:55:12Uh the gentleman moves the motion to table. The motion to table is privileged and non-debatable. All those in favor of the motion to table, please signify by saying I. Any oppose? No. The ruling of the chair is the eyes have it. Mr. Swallwell. Is there a motion for a recorded vote? A motion for recorded vote has been made. We will allow the clerk a moment to resume his position.
▶ 1:55:50The clerk will call the role. Mr. Green of Tennessee. Mr. McCall. Mr. Higgins. Mr. Higgins votes I. Mr. G uh Mr. Jimenez. Mr. Jimenez votes I. Mr. Fluger. I. Mr. Fluger votes I. Mr. Garberino Mr. Garbarino votes I. Miss Green. Mr. Gonzalez.
▶ 1:56:21Mr. Latrellino. Mr. Lutrell votes I. Mr. Strong Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Bkine. Mr. Bkine votes I. Mr. Crane. Mr. Crane votes I. Mr. Ogles. I Mr. Ogles votes I. Mrs. Biggs I Mrs. Biggs votes I. Mr. Evans Mr. Evans votes I. Mr.
▶ 1:56:50McKenzie Mr. McKenzie votes I. Mr. Knot Mr. Knott votes I. Ranking member Ranking member Thompson votes no. Mr. Mr. Swallwell votes no. Mr. Koreah. Mr. Koreah votes no. Mr. Tanadar. Mr. Tanadar votes no. Mr. Magaziner. Mr. Magaziner votes no. Mr. Goldman.
▶ 1:57:22Mrs. Ramirez. Mrs. Ramirez votes no. Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs. Macccyver. Mrs. McCyver votes no. Miss Johnson. Miss Johnson votes no. Mr. Hernandez. Miss Poe. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green of Texas. Mr. Green of Texas votes no.
▶ 1:57:59Uh, Mr. Goldman has not been recorded. Mr. Goldman votes no. Mr. Clerk, how's the chair recorded? The chair has not yet been recorded. Chair votes I. The chairman votes I. Are there any other members who wish to have their vote recorded? If not, the clerk will report the total to the committee. Mr.
▶ 1:58:29Chairman, on that vote, there were 14 eyes and 12 nos. Uh the motion uh is uh passed. At this time, the chair would recognize the gentleman from the great state of New York, Mr. Oh, I'm sorry. At this time, we would recognize the gentleman from the great state of Texas, Mr. Latrell, for his Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:59:02I'm gonna point out Mr. Swallowwell's point about that young man and I don't know the information on it that he was detained. Um, we have to do a better job, you know, here on this committee as far as oversight goes. There's multiple problems that I see. We should do our absolute best in the department to not make mistakes. The number of 325,000 missing children is a problem.
▶ 1:59:31We shouldn't have that problem. My question is to Mr. Howler, Miss when those babies came across the border and were touched by Homeland Security and then passed on to an NGO, I would think that the NGO should have responsibility of knowing where those children went. Correct. They should.
▶ 1:59:59Do are we aware whether or not the NOS's have records of who took those children into custody? Because I would think that we should have the NOS's also in front of us answering those questions so we can find those children. They should. Do they? That would be a great question for the Mr. Congressman, in litigation, we have sued the department for record sets kept by the NOS's that the department has access to.
▶ 2:00:28Those record sets do not have a lot of information. That is by design. It is why the government offloads this responsibility to nonprofits so they don't have to answer your tough questions and have custody of this derogatory information. So, so to clarify your statement, NOS's are not to be held accountable for data aggregation on children that they put that they move from their through their organization into custody of someone else.
▶ 2:00:55They absolutely should be held accountable for I know they should be, but are you saying that they are or are not? Are not. And that is in the language that has been created for NOS's to get government Correct. There there are obligations on the recipient of grants to to keep statistics, information, etc. and all sorts of other legal obligations that are upon them.
▶ 2:01:21To add to that, they have a contractual accountability, but aside from contractual accountability, it ends there. What you got? Well, that that's exactly the problem because it's not just the fact that we had this we have this massive volume of people and so things are obviously going to slip through the cracks.
▶ 2:01:43There there's there's no way to really figure out exactly how many they ran through or how many they they processed because like Border Patrol at the time and and customs they were overwhelmed because people had a greater incentive to arrive illegally because of the policies pursued by the Biden Harris administration.
▶ 2:02:00So to my understanding for this committee and moving forward, we need to make sure that legislation states properly that any NGO whether or not be at the Catholic organization or whomever has to follow certain guidelines and rules which obviously that is not in place. Correct. And in order for us to maintain accountability for any and all who come through our border, child, whomever into the United States of America, we need to know exactly where they are at all times.
▶ 2:02:30Correct? It should be tied in the contract along with the grant money that it is outlined who is responsible for the data collection and management whether it's HHS or the NOS's. And if the NOS's are responsible, it needs to outline the requirements and the expectations of how to maintain. So DHS needs to provide those those standards to any NGO.
▶ 2:02:54Those NOS's need to have those standards passed on to anybody that's receiving a child if they're accepting the grant dollars. Correct. So that's our next step. I would say that's pretty simple, right? I would say the simpler solution is to stop funding the invasion of the United States. We can impose these standards. I don't that. Okay, I got you, buddy. I'm trying to go granular on this. I agree with you wholeheartedly, but I'm trying to fix problem that exists. We can about it all day long, which we're just going to beat each other up and we're not going to go anywhere. I'm really trying to fix this problem. Okay?
▶ 2:03:24So, we have to move legislatively in order to solve that problem, right? And HR2 contains a provision which would do a lot of that. It could also be improved. Okay. So our next my next step as congressional member is to write out legislation that both sides would agree on in order to fix this problem. That sounds like a pretty good fix. Correct. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. Gentleman yields. Mr. Goldman is recognized for questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Here we are again.
▶ 2:03:54Laand and Homeland Security Committee conducting oversight of the president and his administration. Great. because there are many many things that Congress should be conducting oversight over the this administration. Donald Trump campaigned on finding convicted criminals who are unlawfully here in this country and deporting them. The worst of the worst, he said.
▶ 2:04:18Instead, he and his identifi unidentified masked secret ICE agents are snatching and arresting immigrants from court proceedings. non-violent noncriminal immigrants, pursuing legal pathways to immigrate to this country and then illegally detaining them in horrific conditions and even possibly deporting them despite the fact that they are here legally.
▶ 2:04:42You would think the committee with jurisdiction over the department Department of Homeland Security would want to conduct oversight over the department's refusal to allow members of Congress to observe the conditions of DHS detention facilities.
▶ 2:05:02In fact, there is a specific statute that authorizes both Republicans and Democrats to conduct oversight over facilities that house or detain immigrants. But no, the department refuses.
▶ 2:05:19So, we're here in the Homeland Security Committee, and I'm sure the Republican majority does not like it when this administration undermines its own authority, its own statutory authority to conduct But no, instead of all of that, we are here talking yet again about Joe Biden. News flash, Joe Biden is not the president. He hasn't been the president for seven months.
▶ 2:05:47So if we are going to conduct oversight here, why are we doing it about the Biden administration when this administration is literally detaining lawful permanent residents and even some US citizens? And it gets worse. It's not just those masked ICE agents.
▶ 2:06:07There are many FBI agents who are being called away from their duties to investigate terrorism, violent gangs, child trafficking, and other crimes in order to help ICE arrest and detain immigrants with legal asylum claims, nonviolent that makes our homeland less safe, not more safe.
▶ 2:06:31So, we should hear from FBI Director Cash Pat Vatel about how many of his criminal investigators are being taken away from their criminal investigatory jobs, keeping Americans safe in order to help round up noncriminal immigrants trying to immigrate the right way. Some of these detainees are being held in Bureau of Prisons, detention centers that are unfit for convicted criminals to stay in.
▶ 2:06:59We should hear from Pam Bondi about how much of the department's resources are being used to detain these nonviolent, noncriminal immigration And while they're here, we can ask them about a very pressing question. What's going on with the Epstein files? Donald Trump promised to release them.
▶ 2:07:24Pam Bondi said she had the files on her desk and that she was going to release them in the name of transparency. Cash Patel spent years railing against the FBI to release the files. Many of my Republican colleagues were banging on the table to release the Epstein files. But now all of a sudden, after a monthsl long review, Bondi and Patel say nothing to see here.
▶ 2:07:51No evidence that any American would want to see about accompllices, co-conspirators, or other people's involved. Yesterday, the Republicans voted against releasing the files. So, what's changed? Well, we all know Donald Trump has had a relation had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. He flew on his plane. He hung out in parties, spoke highly of him. And now there are many people saying that Donald Trump is included in the Epstein files.
▶ 2:08:21In fact, there are reporters who say that there are videos of him with topless women. Elon Musk even confirmed that Trump is blocking the release of these files because he's in them. Pam Bondi says there's nothing there. But Donald Trump even acknowledges that there is evidence there. It's just not credible. It's made up. This is a true social post from 9:43 this morning.
▶ 2:08:49It is an admission that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files and the American people deserve to know whether he is or not. Mr. Garberino, Mr. Chairman, I would pursuant to clause 2K6 of rule 11 not recognized your time is garbino recognized for questioning. Mr. Chairman, I have a motion. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 2:09:10Gentleman has a motion pursuant to clause 2K6 rule 11 chairman motion table gentleman has a motion motion to table motion to table is is privileged and we should shall ask all those in favor of the motion to table say I all Those opposed?
▶ 2:09:42Any opinion of the chair? The eyes have it and the motion to table is agreed to. I have a recorded vote, please? Recorded vote is requested. The clerk shall call the rule. Mr. Green of Tennessee, Mr. McCall Mr. Higgins Mr.
▶ 2:10:12Higgins votes I. Mr. Jimenez. Mr. Aimenez votes I. Mr. Fluger. Mr. Fluger votes I. Mr. Garberino. Mr. Garberino votes I. Miss Green. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez votes I. Mr. Latrell Mr. Strong Mr.
▶ 2:10:42Strong votes I. Mr. Bkine Mr. Bkine votes I. Mr. Crane Mr. Crane votes I. Mr. Ogles. Mr. Ogles votes I. Mrs. Biggs. Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans votes I. Mr. McKenzie Mr. Not Mr. Knot votes I.
▶ 2:11:11Ranking member Ranking member Thompson votes no. Mr. Mr. Suo votes no. Mr. Koreah. Mr. Tanidar. Mr. Tanidar votes no. Mr. Magaziner. Mr. Goldman. Mr. Goldman votes no. Mrs. Ramirez, Mrs. Ramirez votes no.
▶ 2:11:42Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs. McCyver, Mrs. McCyver votes no. Miss Johnson, Miss Johnson votes no. Mr. Hernandez, Mr. Hernandez votes no. Miss Poe, Miss Poe votes no. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green of Texas.
▶ 2:12:13Mr. Green of Texas votes no. Am I recorded? Mr. Koreah is not recorded. Vote no. Mr. Koreah votes no. Chairman guess is not recorded. Chairman guest votes I. Any other member not recorded? Mrs.
▶ 2:12:44Biggs votes I. as a gentleman.
▶ 2:13:23Mr. Chairman, what what are we waiting I'm sorry, sir. What are we waiting for? We're waiting for all members to complete voting. Sir, we we have all members who've completed votes. Mr. Chairman, call a question. I'm sorry, sir. We like to call the question and have the vote uh tallied. All members who are present have voted. Your your request is heard and denied. We're waiting for members to return to the chamber to vote.
▶ 2:13:54Mr. Chairman. Yes, Mr. Ranking member. We We went through this once, but that's not in the rule. Uh it's kind of you to have that opinion, Mr. Ranking member, but I'm the chairman and we're going to wait till members return for the vote. You guys are pushing a button on these procedural votes. It's not on the agenda.
▶ 2:14:14was not discussed prior to this hearing and we're going to give all members of both sides ample time to return to the chamber and cast a vote to end that for the record you perhaps it's not the committee didn't even give notice of this hearing. So are you talking about engaging? I'm quite certain that the committee is within the parameters of the rules of the house and the committee. Mr. Ranking member, you've been on the committee longer than most of us have been.
▶ 2:14:43And uh and I that's why I'm trying to explain the rules to you. I'm pretty sure you know the rules. We're following the rules. Which rule are you following, Mr. You're the attorney, sir. You can look up the rules. I can tell you that I have high confidence that this committee, the staff of this committee is following every rule and the parameters shall be continued. We will we will wait for members to return to the chambers. This happens all the time. This is not new.
▶ 2:15:12This is happens in every committee when procedural votes are called. Members have excused themselves after their questioning to handle our business. They have to return to the chamber. We'll allow that for the Democrats. We'll allow it for the Republicans. That's Mr. Chair, we've never asked to wait on a vote. Well, anyone tell you to ask, Mr. Ranking member? Because we have it is not the rules of the committ.
▶ 2:15:40It's not the rules of the Okay. Well, you're welcome to have that opinion, but I I state again that the committee is operating within the parameters of the rules of the house and the committee. I have the parliamentary inquiry, Mr. I have the gavvel and I have I have the the right to keep the vote open until members have returned from across campus to cast an important vote. Mr. Chairman, it's not new. It's historically accurate and traditional in Congress.
▶ 2:16:10That's not true, Mr. Chairman. It's never done in this committee. And other committees have specific rules that allow for the chairman to do this. This committee does not have that rule. We are simply asking if it is if you are doing this pursuant to the rules of the house or the committee that you simply point us to the rule that allows you to do this because if you are now ruling as chairman without the authority of the rules we have a whole different issue. Mr.
▶ 2:16:38Chairman point order this committee existed before the gentleman from New York was a member of Congress. I was in the minority back here in 2021. some some of my colleagues did and the ranking member who was chairman at that time repeatedly held votes open uh when they were not uh for members to return here to vote not because they were for one way or another but for members to get back on procedural motions.
▶ 2:17:01I've experienced it when I was in the member minority members were allowed ample time to return from unscheduled from unscheduled votes uh in this in this committee. Thank you. The gentleman yields and the gentleman is is gentleman from New York. Uh is is ranking member asking to be Well, obvious mate, that's not true. When did that happen? Did the ranking member is not recognized? Does Miss MacGyver wish to be recognized?
▶ 2:17:30No, I'm still I'm still talking. You haven't been recognized. You recognize me? Would you like I did not. You did. You want me to recognize you now? You recognize now, Obviously, I was talking to you already, Mr. Gabberino, because I had been recognized. Yeah, but that's not true. That is factually not true what you That is I I I rec I don't recall the the date, but I recall it happening. I recall votes being uh held open.
▶ 2:17:58So because there whether there were other votes or other committees, there was procedural motions, there were also markups where votes were held open or sometimes delayed. Claim my time. Look, all this is just delaying till somebody get here. And and Mr. Chairman, the rules are the rules. And and for you to try to make them up as you go, that's not how you do it. Mr. Chairman, you gentlemen yield. How am I recorded?
▶ 2:18:29Uh, Mr. Magaziner has not been recorded. As be recorded as a no. Mr. Magaziner votes no. Mr. Chairman, while we wait, can I introduce a UC request? Gentleman has a unanimous consent request. You recognize. Uh, I would move to introduce a uh truth social post from Donald Trump from 9:43 a.m. uh railing against Mr. Chairman, we're in the middle of a vote.
▶ 2:18:58I don't think you can enter any UC I'm I'm advised that although I'm quite generous with recognizing my colleagues across the aisle here, it's contrary to specifically to the rules for you to introduce unanimous consent. Will the gentleman let let us close this vote out? We're happy to recognize. Of course, I'm happy to rec Mr. Chairman trying to be polite. Mr.
▶ 2:19:24Chairman, given that there seem to be some attendance issues, at least on the Republican side, uh I move that the committee do now adjurnn. Uh there's an open vote right now. You're welcome to make a motion to adjurnn after we close this. Mr. Chairman, point of order. A motion to adjurnn is the highest privilege. So not doing an open vote. It would supersede. motion to adjourn.
▶ 2:19:50Can we can if you continue with your motion and enter your motion after we close this vote and the chair will entertain that. But parliamentary can I make a this vote is open is going to remain open until chairman can I ask a question been allowed to return. Parliamentary inquiry my understanding is that a motion to adjourn is the highest privilege and has to be acted on even if there is another open vote.
▶ 2:20:20particularly not a vote that's not being properly closed with uh with with concurrence which is reflective of my understanding I respect Mr. Magazine's position and it is privileged but cannot be entertained during an open vote and this is an open vote so if you if you would like enter a motion to adjourn good sir we will certainly entertain that once we've closed this vote Mr. Chairman, the madam is recognized.
▶ 2:20:51Uh, request a tally. Gentleman is recognized. Request a tally of the vote as it stands at the moment. Yeah, I will. The chair will will request a tally at conclusion of the vote when we close the vote.
▶ 2:21:27Green from Texas. Mr. Chairman, may I be recognized? Of course. My my friend from Texas is Thank you, my friend. Uh, is it in order to make a motion to close the vote? I don't believe that a motion to close a vote is in order or required.
▶ 2:21:49We, the chair is keeping the vote open until members from either side of the aisle return to the chamber for this unscheduled procedural vote. And may I consider this a ruling of the You can't challenge a ruling of the chair on a motion that's not recognized during an open vote.
▶ 2:22:12So if you continue with you, if you would like to submit a motion to adjourn, I would suggest you follow the rules there as well, but you'll have to wait until this vote is closed. Good sir. What I would like to do is, as we have done with other motions, is appeal the ruling of the chair.
▶ 2:22:35You you're welcome to appeal the ruling of the chair if it's within the parameters of the rule, but that that appeal will not be entertained during an open vote. Mr. Chairman, you you have uh made a uh by keeping the vote open. That is in effect a ruling and Mr. Green is appealing that decision you've made. Yeah.
▶ 2:23:03Then we're not going to entertain a motion or an appeal while a vote is open. Mr. uh ranking member, you know that. Well, I know it, but it's not the We've always And ladies and gentlemen, I understand your your your position. Understand you making a stance in the Homeland Security Committee. We're just making for you to follow the rules.
▶ 2:23:31Historically and traditionally, this committee and every committee I've served on has kept votes open when you have an unscheduled procedural vote to allow members to return to the chamber to cast a vote. Mr. Chairman, this happens if we're in the majority or you're in the majority.
▶ 2:23:50It's ideologically uh you know appropriate from either perspective to to allow your members to return to the chamber and it's certainly the historical and um means by which we deal with unscheduled procedural votes. Mr. Chairman, who was that please? Mr. Bashane. Yeah. Point of order.
▶ 2:24:20um or parliamentary inquiry. I would put it to you, but I would put it to the Democrat opposition also is I would love for someone to point out where the rules say that you as chairman of a committee do not have the discretion over this matter. The accusation that the rules are being violated, but yet where is it in the rules that does not give the chairman the allowance or the discretion to make this decision? Mr. Mr. Basheen yields.
▶ 2:24:52Mr. Clerk, how is Mr. McKenzie recorded? Mr. McKenzie has not yet been Mr. McKenzie votes I. Wait one.
▶ 2:25:30McCall has not been recorded. Mr. McCall votes I. clerk will record a tally. Mr. Chairman, on that vote there were 15 eyes and 14 nos. The motion at table has succeeded. And the chair recognizes Mr.
▶ 2:25:56Magazer for You have a motion. I'm sorry. Mr. Magaziner, you have a motion. No, I'll proceed with my gentleman withdraws his intention. Mr. Garberino. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the witnesses uh for being here. I'm sorry that you're experiencing this this today.
▶ 2:26:24It's not normal how uh the committee works. Um, I'll tell you, it's it's amazing listening to the other side uh complain about our law enforcement officers ICE and um and saying that they should not be wearing masks um even though they're rounding up MS-13 criminals uh who in my district uh would chop up children with machetes uh whether I was in Brenwood or CI.
▶ 2:26:52They want them they want them uh to be demased and and u and uh possibly face retribution. It's it's amazing the first time I'm asking they're asking for anybody to be demasked. I mean Antifa, they they can wear their masks. The violent protesters that uh burn down cities, burn down cars, looted, they can keep their masks on. Uh god forbid we hold the criminals accountable uh and ask them to be demas demasked.
▶ 2:27:18But um our law enforcement officers, let's put them in danger uh for retribution from uh violent uh drug cartels and uh and um uh who we know whether in the US or in Mexico or in South America or Central America uh whoever they want, however they want, whenever they want. But let's put our law enforcement officers in harm's way.
▶ 2:27:49Miss Hopper, organizations that aided and embedded illegal immigration activities must be held accountable, and the committee has identified countless non-governmental organizations have appeared to have played a larger role in propping up the Biden administration's border crisis, helping play a role in obscuring the true extent of the lawlessness that occurred over the last four years. Can you highlight some of the most egregious examples of the activities NOS's engaged in in support of the Biden administration's open border policies? Thank you. Absolutely.
▶ 2:28:19I think Florida's grand jury uh review of the whole unaccompanied children process is a great place to start if people haven't looked into that. Um there are numerous situations where you can look at the funding of what the NOS's took in starting with the 990s. Then when you start to zoom in, you look at the program mismanagement, waste, fraud, and abuse.
▶ 2:28:49This isn't about the humanitarian mission. This isn't about the religious component of the organization, the nonprofit. We heard people bring up the religious component of the nonprofit. That has nothing to do with that. It has to do with how the humanitarian organization handled the program, handled these children, handled these funds, and handled the sponsors.
▶ 2:29:16And they didn't they didn't handle any of that. Now, not all NOS's mismanaged children and mismanaged funds, but there were a lot of them that did and taxpayers funded it. They paid for it, and they must be held accountable for Thank you very much. Can you also elaborate on the extent to which the Biden administration's reliance on non-governmental organizations endangered the lives of those children?
▶ 2:29:45I know you touched about it a little bit uh but can you talk about especially the UAC's uh that is something that was we saw a lot of UAC's being sent up uh to New York to Long Island in my district and there was no follow-up or very little follow-up uh after they were sent. Can you talk about that please? Yeah, so once NOS's were sending children to their sponsors, they were supposed to have an individual traveling with them to make sure that they got to their destination.
▶ 2:30:14We were actually on a flight with numerous UAC's that were unaccompanied, couldn't speak the language, and airlines struggled to communicate with them. They were traveling alone. When we spoke with the flight attendants, they outlined numerous situations where children showed up at incorrect locations. CPS would have to be called because the sponsor either didn't show up, they were at the wrong location, they couldn't communicate with these unaccompanied children, and they were not supposed to be traveling alone.
▶ 2:30:44Once they got to that state, there wasn't a followup. There were two phone calls, and there was very little followup or coordination with state level agencies to share that information for meaningful welfare Thank you very much uh for your uh answer and uh Mr. Chairman uh pursuant to clause 2K6 of House Rule 11, I have a motion requesting the committee subpoena former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Morcus.
▶ 2:31:15He refused to testify here in his own impeachment trial and we believe the Americans should hear from him on his unlawful policies, especially the ones that we're addressing here today. So that's my motion, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Motion made by Mr. Garberino point of order. I'm sorry. I'll defer to the Mr. Ch. I move the table motion. Motion to table. Uh the motion to table is privileged and is nondebatable.
▶ 2:31:44Uh all those in favor of the motion to table signify by saying I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chairs, the nays have it. Mr. Chairman asks for a recorded vote. Our recorded vote has been requested on the motion to table. We will allow the clerk to resume his position.
▶ 2:32:14Mr. Clerk, if you will please call the Point of order. Point of order. Mr. chairman. Uh I would like uh this committee to wait for other members to return from uh both sides of the aisle for the vote. Miss Kenny, thank you for your input, but Mr. Clerk, if you would please call the role. Thank you for your consideration, Mr.
▶ 2:32:37chairman, as uh you're clearly demonstrating your partisanship in not allowing members of this committee to return as you held this open for at least 15 minutes on the last vote, which I've never seen anything so ridiculous in my entire two plus decades of service in government. This committee's broken the rules countless times today, and it continues. Point of order, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:33:07Mr. Ogles, if you uh open the vote so we can begin, is it possible for you to hold the vote open so other members can return as we just did previously? Sir, Mr. Clerk, if you will call the role. Members will have the opportunity to return as the vote is being called and as votes are being recorded. So, please call the role. I believe we also have votes that are occurring now on the House floor. So, if you will call the role on this matter. Point of order. Mr. Chairman. Mr.
▶ 2:33:34Garbarino stated that uh Secretary Morcus did not come before this committee. He came dozens of times, but Steven Miller has refused to come. Tom Hman has refused to come. on this matter. Mr. Green of Tennessee. Mr. McCall. McCall votes no. Mr. McCall votes no. Mr. Higgins.
▶ 2:34:04Mr. Higgins votes no. Mr. Jimenez. Mr. Jimenez votes no. Mr. Fluger. Mr. Fluger votes no. Mr. Garberino. Mr. Garberino votes no. Miss Green. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Mr. Gonzalez votes no. Mr. Latrell, Mr. Latrell votes no. Mr. Strong, Mr. Strong votes no. Mr.
▶ 2:34:35Bkine, Mr. Bkine votes no. Mr. Crane. Mr. Crane votes no. Mr. Ogles. Mr. Ogles votes no. Mrs. Biggs. Mrs. Biggs votes no. Mr. Evans. Mr. Mr. Evans votes no. Mr. McKenzie Mr. McKenzie votes no. Mr. Knott Mr. Knott votes no.
▶ 2:35:03Ranking member Thompson Ranking member Thompson votes I. Mr. Mr. Koreah. Mr. Koreah votes I. Mr. Tanadar. Mr. Tanadar votes I. Mr. Magazer. Mr. Mr. Magaziner votes I. Mr. Goldman. Mrs. Ramirez. Mrs. Ramirez votes I. Mr.
▶ 2:35:33Kennedy Mr. Kennedy votes I. Mrs. Macccyver Mrs. Macgyver votes I. Miss. Johnson. Miss Johnson votes I. Mr. Hernandez. Mr. Hernandez votes I. Miss Poe. Miss Poe votes I. Mr. Carter. Mr. Green of Texas. Mr.
▶ 2:36:02Green of Texas votes I. Any other members wish to record their vote? Mr. Clerk, am I recorded? The chairman has not been recorded. Please record me as a no. Mr. Goldman has entered the chamber. Mr. Goldman, would you like to be recorded? I would I. Mr. Mr. Goldman votes I. Any other additional members who wish to be recorded? Mr.
▶ 2:36:27Clerk, if you will please report the Mr. Chairman, on that vote there were 16 eyes and 12 nos. Uh the motion the motion to table is not agreed to.
▶ 2:37:05Mr. Chairman, um with votes being called, uh the chair intends to call a recess. Uh we will return back after votes have been called to then debate uh the motion. Uh so at this time, the committee stands in recess. Excellent.
▶ 4:43:16Uh the committee will come to order. At this time, I would like to recognize a gentleman from New York, Mr. Garberino, on his motion. Mr. Chairman, uh out of respect for the witnesses that are here and the importance of this topic, I'm going to withdraw my motion. Uh the motion has been withdrawn. Uh I will now recognize Mr. Ramirez for five minutes for her questioning. Thank you, chair, and thank you, ranking member Thompson. It's been a long time in this committee.
▶ 4:43:43Uh but I want to start uh by talking about civil society because civil society in my opinion is the first line of defense for our communities when authoritarianism, you know, like the one that the president is attempting um and our democracy tries to attack us. And when Trump demands a public enemy and views our authority to target them, it is civil society that holds the line.
▶ 4:44:11I find it deeply undemocratic and unamerican and unacceptable that my Republican colleagues are targeting more than 212 organizations across the country that assist community members including immigrant children since we've been talking about children as if you care about immigrant children and asylum seekers to meet their basic needs. So I want to make sure that I remind my colleagues since we've been here for a while uh that secretary know this administration a couple of things.
▶ 4:44:38First of all, crossing a border to the US to request the opportunity to apply for asylum is actually legal. Adjusting your status if you have a pathway to do so is legal. Supporting immigrants to apply for asylum, TPS, parole, and other forms of relief is legal. Supporting people to become United States citizens is also legal. Look, Republicans are going to lie and gaslight us all to help their fascist boss suppress disscent.
▶ 4:45:09Let me ask you, who drags the reputations of essential nonprofits in our communities? I'll tell you who. Authoritarians, bullies that these weak wannabe kings who are scared of civil society because they uphold the This hearing has been unserious, especially since the illegal and unlawful activities are actually being perpetrated by the people in the White House, the cabinet, and Republican leadership.
▶ 4:45:37Tom Holman said during an interview that ICE officers and border patrol agents don't need any probable cause to walk up to someone, question them, and detain them based on their physical appearance, occupation, or location. So he basically said that if someone looks like me and a couple of colleagues here, they can walk up and question us. That is racial profiling, which is illegal.
▶ 4:46:07At the same time, Homeman consistently complains about the communities like the one I represent from Chicago for knowing their rights because if they know their rights, it's harder for him to violate them. Tom Hman's disregard for our rights is unconstitutional. And since Mr. Homeman aka the borders are has the audacity to repeatedly brag about his legal immigration enforcement practices and disrespect due process. I demand he come before us to respond to the multitude of questions we have for him in person.
▶ 4:46:37But not just him. Governor Ron De Santis of Florida is complicit in the construction of the alligator Alcatra and the violations of human rights being perpetrated there. Florida's replica of one of our most notorious prisons is a clear illustration of the brutality of the Trump administration. They unlawfully robbed funds from cities supporting asylum seekers to build a ccotlike detention center in one of the most dangerous places in the United States.
▶ 4:47:08Yet Dantis has the audacity to repeatedly brag about the inhumane conditions at alligator Alcatra and celebrate the violence being perpetrated with American tax dollars. Governor DeSantis must testify before this committee and provide answers to our questions about the atrocities being committed in his state.
▶ 4:47:27And he should also bring secret secretary Marco Rubio because the truth is we shouldn't be sending people to foreign countries when they may face torture and death with no chance for due process or appeal particularly when they have not had their day in court and have not been subject to an extradition request.
▶ 4:47:44It is a gross violation of our shared humanity and our ideals as a nation to use money that's been appropriated to support refugees to disappear them to offshore prisons in countries they do not know and have no connection to. Yet Trump, Gnome, and Rubio have repeatedly been caught red-handed blatantly breaking the law entering into backdoor agreements with foreign countries to deport the poor people without due process. So, Mr.
▶ 4:48:11Chair, pursuant to clause 2K6 of rule 11, I move that this committee subpoena Thomas Douglas Holman, Ron D. Santis, and Marco Rubio. Does the gentle lady yield back? I would like to make sure that my subpoena request is in record and is Yes, ma'am. Do you yield back? I do. Is there a motion? Mr.
▶ 4:48:40Chairman, I I move I move to table. Uh motion to table has been offered. Uh the gentleman that moves the motion to table, this is, as we well know now, a privileged and non-debatable motion. All those in favor of tableabling the motion, please signify by saying I. Any opposed? No. In the opinion of the chairs, the eyes have it. Is there a motion? I'd like a recorded vote. There has been a motion for a recorded vote. Mr.
▶ 4:49:08Clerk, thank you for your yman's work today. Mr. Clerk, if you will please call the Mr. Green of Tennessee. Mr. McCall. Mr. Higgins. Mr. Higgins votes I. Mr. Jimenez Mr. Jimenez votes I. Mr. Mr. Fluger.
▶ 4:49:39Mr. Fluger votes I. Mr. Garberino Mr. Garberino votes I. Miss Green. Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Latrell. Mr. Strong. My apolog. You were just called. Yes, sir. That's all right. Mr. Latrell votes I.
▶ 4:50:09Mr. Strong Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Bkine Mr. Bkine votes I. Mr. Crane. Mr. Crane votes I. Mr. Ogles. Mr. Ogles votes I. Mrs. Biggs. Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans votes I. Mr. McKenzie. Mr. McKenzie votes I. Mr.
▶ 4:50:36Knot, Ranking Member Thompson, Ranking member Thompson votes no. Mr. Swallwell. Mr. Koreah, Mr. Koreah votes no. Mr. Tannidar, Mr. Tanadar votes no. Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Magaziner votes no. Mr. Goldman. Mrs. Ramirez. Mrs. Ramirez votes no. Mr.
▶ 4:51:06Kennedy Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs. Mcyver. Miss Johnson. Mr. Hernandez. Miss Poe. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green of Texas. Mr. Green of Texas votes no. There any members uh who wish to record their vote?
▶ 4:51:39Mrs. Biggs votes I. Mr. Clerk, how am I recorded? Chairman has not yet been recorded. Guest votes I. Chairman, guest votes I. Would you please report the tally? Point of order. Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir. Are we going to leave the um voting tally open until everybody gets here as we did earlier?
▶ 4:52:06There are people that are still outstanding, missing votes on both sides of the table, Miss Macauver, would you like to be Miss McCyver votes no. Would the clerk report the tally? Mr. Chairman, are we going to leave the Would the clerk report the tally? You're not recognized. Mr.
▶ 4:52:34Kenny, on that vote, there were 13 eyes and nine nos. Uh the opinion of the chair based upon the recorded vote, uh the motion prevails. Uh and it this motion is in fact table. This point I would recognize Mr. Strong for five minutes. Thank you, chairman, guest. Um to our witnesses, I want to apologize to each of you. I know that y'all have walked into a spitwad fight here and uh I thank each of you for being here before us today.
▶ 4:53:03The American uh people deserve details, accountability, and especially when it comes to their taxpayer dollars, they deserve answers. Uh you think about it, in recent years, far too much federal funding has gone to NOS's with little oversight, questionable practices, and in some cases, connections that raise serious red flags. In uh 2021, ICE awarded an $86 million no bid contract to Endeavors for hotel stays for illegal immigrants.
▶ 4:53:34Mr. Howell, could you broadly talk about the uh risk to border security and accountability when the federal government uh outsources key functions to non-government organizations? Absolutely. So, there's a clear break in the paper trail and accountability. Once the money leaves DHS, there's little in the way of reporting requirements as to how it's spent, how it's maintained, where the illegals go, and all sorts of other standards that relate to condition.
▶ 4:54:00For example, in these nonprofit facilities, uh not much in the way of licensing requirements or or living, you know, standards are are there. Yet, you have uh all this attention on ICE facilities for quite the opposite reasons. And so, it's a vastly different uh ecosystem. In his testimony, Mr. Rosa noted that certain non-government organizations were present during the recent unrest in Los Angeles and many have played a role in obstructing federal operations. Mr.
▶ 4:54:28Howell, has your team identified any instances where fedally funded non-government organizations appear to be aligned with political advocacy groups or campaigns in ways that could raise concerns about conflicts of interest or inappropriate influence. Absolutely.
▶ 4:54:44I I think the most recent, you know, former Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandra Mayorcis, who was impeached coming from Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, is an example of how this whole system works and the uh very cozy relationship between the nonprofits and governmental actors. Uh as you as it relates to the violence we see in the streets, the foot soldiers and organizers, I would say, are one degree removed away from those receiving government funds. You know, the giant organizations like Catholic Charities and others who do a lot more in terms of public advocacy.
▶ 4:55:14It's a very complex ecosystem all pushing in the same Turning to Miss Hopper, DHS OIG previously found that nearly 60% of certain emergency food and shelter programs reimbures uh lacked adequate receipts, didn't turn in receipts. Does this suggest a pattern of gross financial mismanagement or potential fraud among NOS's receiving DHS grants? It absolutely does.
▶ 4:55:43when you're unable to provide receipts and we have firsthand accounts of um facilities serving rice and beans and charging the US government a steak and lobster diet. That's a problem. Miss Hopper, uh in your view, how did the federal government's emphasis uh on raid placement uh rapid um placement over thorough screening create opportunities for traffickers to exploit the unaccompanied alien children
▶ 4:56:13They absolutely did. We interviewed incarcerated cartel members that knew when this administration took over that they were not going to have access to the same pipelines and taxpayer dollars that they had access to before. They know that when unaccompanied children came in, they would provide the name, number, and address of the sponsor, cartel controlled, so that the k the child could be put to work to pay off the debt that they owed their smuggler or trafficker.
▶ 4:56:37Miss Hopper, uh, beyond the serious risk of exploitation and trafficking, there are growing concerns that some unaccompanied alien children may be vulnerable to recruitment by violent gangs like MS-13 or Trenda Aagra. Is uh that something that has come up in your investigations and It absolutely has. With the open borders, we had numerous transnational criminal organizations, criminal networks, bad actors come into this country and with them they are looking for recruits.
▶ 4:57:08And so when you have young teenagers looking for they have food instability, housing instability and they have a debt to pay off, they are going to pay that off by working with cartel members. Thank you. To close out my time, one issue that has been raised by state local law enforcement is the lack of communication by NOS's as they facilitate the movement and settlement of these aliens in local communities.
▶ 4:57:33Keeping law enforcement out of the loop creates public safety concerns and likewise does a disservice to the settlement of migrants. for any of our witnesses. Can you speak to why these NOS's were encouraged not to work with local law enforcement and some of the downstream implications of these poor It's because that would have gotten in the way of moving as many illegal aliens around the country as humanly possible, which was completely the opposite of the goal of the Biden administration
▶ 4:58:04and the NOS's. That's why they don't cooperate. They didn't cooperate because they didn't have to cooperate contractually. They weren't required to and so they I concur with my fellow witnesses. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes Mr. Magazina for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Chairman.
▶ 4:58:28Donald Trump said he would focus on deporting criminals and people with removal orders, but that is not what his administration has been doing. Instead, the Trump administration has been going after innocent, hard-working people who have committed no crimes, including children, including US citizens, children, grandparents, veterans, students who express unpopular political opinions, and yes, even United States citizens.
▶ 4:58:56The latest data from Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security, their own data, shows that more than 70% of those in ICE detention have no criminal convictions. They are locking people up who have tried immigrating to the United States the legal way, who presented themselves at ports of entry and asked for asylum. People like Andre Hernandez Romero, a gay makeup artist from Venezuela who came to the United States seeking asylum.
▶ 4:59:26Listen to this. He did not enter the country illegally. He presented himself at a port of entry near San Diego. Tried to do it the legal way. And what did the Trump administration do? They put him on a plane to El Salvador to a prison where he is still today. He has never been convicted of any crimes. He did not even enter the United States illegally. We have been asking the administration, can you give us a proof of life? Can you let us know that he's still alive? And they refused to do so.
▶ 4:59:53They deported a mother from Louisiana along with her seven-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, both of whom are US citizens, and the four-year-old has stage 4 cancer. The mother of these children has said that she did not consent to having her children deported with her. Secretary Gnome was here and she said under oath that she had documentation proving that the mother had consented. She said she would provide it. She still has not.
▶ 5:00:23Representative Swallwell and I followed up with her. She still has not presented any documentation, any rationale for why this 4-year-old US citizen with cancer was deported to a country that is not his own. And so when I hear my colleagues and when I hear our witnesses saying that they care about the lives of the I'm sorry.
▶ 5:00:47You have no credibility if you are not prepared to call out the injustice of deporting a fouryear-old with cancer, a seven-year-old with Where's your Where's your sympathy for those children? No. Donald Trump gets a free pass always, no matter what he does from this crowd. That's how we know that what we're hearing is political today, not a real concern for the children who have been caught up in all of this.
▶ 5:01:16There's This family in Oregon, four children, all US citizens. These four children along with their parents who have no criminal record were put into detention by ICE for 2 weeks in a border patrol facility that is not designed for long-term detention. A 10x10 cell that these five were in. They were just released after 2 weeks. These US citizen children, where's the concern for them?
▶ 5:01:46We know why this is happening. It's because on May 21st, Steven Miller summoned ICE officials to Washington and ordered them to make mass arrests, not to focus on criminals.
▶ 5:02:01He said, "Go after people at Home Depot and 7-Eleven." Because again, unlike what President Trump promised that they were going to go after the worst of the worst, Steven Miller, who apparently is calling the shots, ordered ICE to round up everybody regardless of whether they are hardened criminals or not. Please, someone tell me, what threat to our country do these children pose or their parents who have lived here and worked here for years and committed no crimes in the country? Is this the worst of the worst?
▶ 5:02:31Of course not. This is the same Steven Miller, by the way, who was the architect of the family separation policy under the first Trump administration during which 4600 children were removed from their parents, some as young as 10 months old. Where's the concern for those 4,600 children? I haven't heard a word from any of our partisan witnesses or any of my partisan colleagues on the other side.
▶ 5:02:57You lose your credibility when you refuse to acknowledge the humanity of those 4,600 children who were separated purposefully from their families by the first Trump administration or the children who are being unlawfully detained and deported I'll leave you with this. Pope Leo, his holiness, posted on X about the Trump administration deporting people to El Salvador. He said, quote, "Do you not see the suffering?
▶ 5:03:27Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?" This is not what the American people want. Let's focus on going after real criminals, not children, not US citizens, not people who are just trying to make a living who pose no threat. Let's focus on the criminals. I yield Gentlemen yields back. The chair recognizes Mr. Bain for his five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 5:03:53We we tend to um find tactics of distraction uh distraction distraction distraction. It's what we see happening with uh people that are trying to stop ICE from deportation efforts. Uh we see that happening in the committee and HR2 is not law. What HR2 was designed to do is to stop the $6 billion. That's an entire state budget. Many of us think about the size of your state budget.
▶ 5:04:23$6 billion under the Biden administration went to these non-government organizations, many of which are 100% federally funded like Endeavors that is that reach the size of Save the Children. Miss Hopper, you mentioned that in your testimony. Save the Children been around for generations that's designed for that is privately funded. This endeavor's non non-government organization went from 52 million and went to over um $1 billion because of government funding.
▶ 5:04:53Miss Hopper, you talked about the NOS's being complicit. I don't know how many were stirred by your conversation about the 17-year-old child that was placed with someone that was discovered from the office of refugee resettlement had uh re resembling that of MS-13 gang members. It was reported supervisors overruled that a month or two later the child is the 17-year-old is found dead.
▶ 5:05:21A man passed out has his has pants Sexual activity being absolutely And you're talking about all the different ways that that these NOS's who got rich hundred $700,000 CEO figures for the CEO of of of Endeavors. And that man needs to be held accountable. John Almonds.
▶ 5:05:53We're talking about children that were ushered into the interior of the United States. These NOS's profited from it, cozy relationships with the Democrat Who knows what political payback there is? Who knows how many of those those dollars that are still retained when you're talking a billion dollars retained to these organizations? Who knows how many of the activities that are trying to stop deportation are still those dollars are are reproducing after themselves.
▶ 5:06:23Who knows how many times we we also see in New York City people being taught how to evade ICE. We know as NOS's this is a lawmaking exercise. We hold these hearings to hold people accountable for the misuse of taxpayer funds. This is evil and we haven't solved it and we have to have legislation to stop any future administration from co-opting FEMA dollars and repurposing for these nefarious ends. All right, Mr.
▶ 5:06:50How you all did a project where you took these NOS's, these 230 NOS's, some of them out of country helping bring people in, some of them in country working as an Uber service. You all did a $30,000 data search on cell phones and you found among these 230 organizations of which 15 United Nation do uh uh spends by the by the US government funneled through the UN ended up into some of these NOS's.
▶ 5:07:18You all found that you tracking 30,000 cell that the Uber service these organizations getting rich went to every congressional district in this committee hearing not just every congressional district in this in this hearing every congressional district in the United States moving unaccompanied minors children to these sponsors only four congressional districts out of 435 congressional districts where we weren't were where these NOS's were were not moving people.
▶ 5:07:49The the gentleman who raped and murdered Lake and Riley was among the list who had two trips where he went to New York City paid for at NGO expense. I'm sorry. Taxpayer expense funneled through these non-government organizations. I need to let you talk. You're absolutely right, sir. So for our study back in 2022 when this country uh in towns across it were seeing flights being dropped off in the middle of the night with no advanced notice. Citizens were living in fear.
▶ 5:08:17We decided to do a small very small sample size of that huge mass of the NGO blob. We looked at only 30 locations for a one-mon period. Grab the cell phone movement in and out of them. 30,000 devices. And from that very small sample size, they went to every single congressional district. I've got 19 seconds left. I want to say this. You also report that in New York you saw that these funds were being used to for shelter programs providing false residency documents to elite illegals, showing them how to provide false documents.
▶ 5:08:46Other NGO you found in Mexico tied into this illegal uh alien camps that had flyers teaching people telling people don't forget to vote for Biden. You had NGO um NOS's advising illegals to lie to law enforcements to evade ICE. All a part of the organization's uh information. We need to spend more time on this because this could still continue in the future absent legislation prohibiting and and cranking the screws down to make sure this is never repeated. I yield. Gentlemen yields.
▶ 5:09:16The chair recognizes the gentleman from New York, Mr. Kennedy, for 5 minutes. Thank you, chairman. Earlier, I entered into the record a press release from this Republican le committee stating that the US Conference of Bishops and Catholic Charities USA are under investigation, directly contradicting what was stated by my Republican colleagues in this committee earlier um in our deliberations.
▶ 5:09:43I'd like to enter into the record a letter from Pope Francis to the bishops of the United States of America. Back on February 10th, 2025, Pope Francis sent a letter to the US Conference of Bishops rebuking the Trump administration on its mass deportation policies, which included the deportation of US citizens, mind you.
▶ 5:10:10And just a couple of months later, what seems like retribution from the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, now Catholic Charities USA and US Conference of Bishops are being investigated and funding is being cut to the humanitarian work that they're doing across our country. It's deeply offensive to Catholics across this nation and it reeks of anti-atholicism and it needs to stop. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
▶ 5:10:39You know, as is the case with all of our districts, there are many organizations that do incredible work that help resettle new Americans and refugees. We lose sight of the selfless humanitarian work that these local non-government organizations do. When we rope them in with the partisan grievances that we're hearing here today, in my own district, there's hundreds of refugees that have settled in just the last three months alone.
▶ 5:11:08But in the last year, across our country, over a 100,000 refugees have come to this great nation who have faced unimaginable hardship based on religion, race, nationality, political opinions, or sexual orientation. And they rely on the housing, case management, nutrition, and job placement services provided by these NOS's. And they're doing their best to make ends meet to become a part of a new committee and community.
▶ 5:11:37And you know, while that is critical lifealtering support made possible in large part to the federal government investment in these programs, these programs and funding streams are being by this administration and congressional Republicans.
▶ 5:11:55They're not only affecting jobs and livelihoods across the country in every single community represented on this committee, but they're forcing the workers to be laid off and hence the work that they were doing to help new Americans assimilate into our country is not being done. Refugees can no longer rely on these services. Workers can no longer rely on support from the federal government to keep the lights on.
▶ 5:12:20And meanwhile, American people are watching as people, including US citizens and children with cancer, are grabbed off the street by mass ICE agents and playing clothes. Migrants are mistreated at detention center by the administration's Department of Homeland Security. And people who came here illegally, to seek a better life, see their futures in jeopardy under Trump's policies.
▶ 5:12:43And finally, I want to share my remarks about an incredibly pressing issue that this committee would be better off addressing and is suited to explore. It's already been addressed today, but all of our hearts are broken about what transpired in Texas with the flooding just a week and a half ago. and in Kirk County, Texas, surrounding areas experiencing the unimaginable devastation and loss of life.
▶ 5:13:11Over 132 lives lost, over a hundred still missing. And in the aftermath of this tragedy, current FEMA employees sounding the alarm about the Trump administration's slow and delayed response to central Texas and reporting suggesting that FEMA failed to answer many calls, thousands of calls from victims in the days following the flooding.
▶ 5:13:35So, make no mistake, emergency responders and local officials in Texas carried out acts of heroism to save lives and pick up the pieces of the lives that were shattered. But this committee has an obligation to investigate how the Trump administration's monthsl long degradation of the FEMA from defunding to layoffs to consolidation played a role in these delays.
▶ 5:13:5972 hours it it took them to get people on the ground from FEMA into the flood zone to save lives and to help those poor people in that horrific disaster. And I'm so disappointed that there's not been more of a measured response from Republicans to uh address the authority and oversaw oversight of this committee. I've sent a letter with Congressman Gabe Ammo, the ranking member of the House Subcommittee with oversight over emergency weather alerts asking the administration to address these issues.
▶ 5:14:29I ask you, Chairman, and my colleagues, it's our responsible to conduct this oversight in an urgent manner moving forward. Let's address these real threats and not chase political distractions. And on that note, I'd like to also wi with unanimous consent uh put into the record this um oped from the former FEMA head Deian Chrisell, cuts to federal response programs guarantee future disasters. I yield back. Without objection, the gentleman yields.
▶ 5:14:59Without objection, be entered into the record. The gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes uh the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Crane, for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for uh holding this hearing today on how NOS's facilitated the Biden border crisis. Um you can see our colleagues are very upset that we're having this hearing today. Um they don't want to talk about this stuff. They don't want to talk about the 300,000 kids that we still don't know where they are.
▶ 5:15:29They're upset that President Trump got elected. They're upset that he's doing exactly what he said he was going to do. And we're backing him up here in Congress. This is what the American people voted for because they saw four years of the carnage that these open border policies plagued on the United States. And we're talking about the NOS's that they used as middlemen to carry out their operations like the Catholic Charities.
▶ 5:15:55they use to facilitate, normalize, and accelerate illegal immigration into this country. Miss Hopper, you've worked closely with trafficking victims and survivors. I'd like to explore the role that the NOS's have played in enabling the trafficking and exploitation of unaccompanied alien children.
▶ 5:16:14Under the last administration, what safeguards were put in place to protect vulnerable unaccompanied Uh I previously discussed the post postplacement welfare checks which consisted of two phone calls. Again if the sponsor didn't answer um the the case was no longer followed up on. But there was also a notice of concern hotline where people could report concerns about the unaccompanied child's safety.
▶ 5:16:44But what this administration found was from August 2023 to January of 65,000 calls went unanswered. Those calls stem spanned from, you know, complaints about stale bread all the way to being abused to one case where a a um a child's call was reporting that grown men were coming into his room at night and they were touching him.
▶ 5:17:14Nothing happened with that call. That call went unanswered until this administration took office, went through those 65,000 calls, made follow-ups, conducted a welfare check, and now that child has been rescued, and that sponsor has been arrested. These are the safeguards that were put in place, but accountability and oversight was not had.
▶ 5:17:38So, you're telling this committee that the Biden administration, while they were letting all of these unaccompanied minors into the country, and as we've talked about today, they weren't keeping track of them, they issued these kids a hotline that they could call if they had trouble with the sponsor family that they were put with. And you're saying that 65,000 calls to this hotline designated to protect these kids went unanswered?
▶ 5:18:08Is that what you're telling this committee? Yes, sir. Wow. That is uh unbelievable. Unbelievable. I believe you also said, Miss Hopper, that uh according to your research, it was easier to adopt a pet or a dog than it was to get one of these children. Is that what you said? I said that it was hard. It was easier to get a child. Yes. Than to adopt a dog.
▶ 5:18:38You actually had to provide more paperwork to adopt a pet from a pet shelter than you did to sponsor a child. Yeah. And think about it, guys. This is exactly why the American people are so upset. This is why they voted for the president and this is why they voted for this agenda to not only remove people from this country to secure our borders, but to find these kids.
▶ 5:19:01I mean, this is this is completely atrocious in a day and age where we're starting to wake up to the realities of sex trafficking and what's going on with these kids. They let all these kids in. We still don't know where over 300,000 of these kids are. And you're you're sitting here testifying saying that they gave a hotline for these kids to report if they were okay, if they needed anything. And 65,000 calls went unanswered.
▶ 5:19:29Do you know how many staffers the administration assigned to answering these phones and helping these kids? One staffer. Any any idea how many hours a day this staffer was working? Maybe that's why there were 65,000 calls that weren't answered from these little kids. Huh. Thank you.
▶ 5:19:58I yield back. The gentleman yields back. Uh the chair recognizes the gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss MacGyver, for five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I first want to start off by just advising that witnesses should definitely come here with the facts. Uh, one of the witnesses today stated that I was arrested and that's a complete lie and I want to put that on the record. Mr. Chairman, this hearing is a shame, a sham, and a complete disgrace.
▶ 5:20:27Just because Republicans don't want to see it doesn't mean it's not true. The charities the majority is targeting are doing the Lord's work. Quite literally, Republicans are trying to misrepresent and undermine and attack the work of these charities due, excuse me, these charities do to assist the most vulnerable and underserved un under un under served all while quoting scripture from the Bible.
▶ 5:20:52No matter what narrative my colleagues across the aisle try to spin, the truth is that these religious organizations and other nonprofits are not political. They seek to provide aid to those who are fleeing violence and seeking asylum. To every person working at the charities, religious organizations, and other NOS's that are the subject of this hearing, I say this to you. Thank you, and I am sorry.
▶ 5:21:17Thank you for providing the services and resources that our government has failed to provide to desperate people who are in need. And I am sorry that Republicans are trying to intimidate you and prevent you from carrying out this critical work. I am appalled that this hearing is being used as an attempt to target religious organizations and prevent them from serving their communities in accordance with their faith.
▶ 5:21:40Meanwhile, the Republican majority has not done an ounce of oversight of the Trump administration, even as Trump and his administration tear apart DHS. In January, Trump installed unelected billionaire Elon Musk as the leader of Doge and empower him to derail and demonize critical functions across the government, including at DHS. Elon has long had massive unexplained ties to China.
▶ 5:22:06He did not file any kind of financial disclosure even as he took an a role in overhauling the federal government. But did the Republican majority demand any information on Mus conflicts? Did they ask questions about his ties to the Chinese government, a topic that draws their interest in just about every context every week on this committee? No, they did not.
▶ 5:22:29Instead, they turned the blind eye to doge in indulge installed unqualified staffers across DHS, gain access to sensitive security systems, and drove off untold members of dedicated civil servants carrying out important missions to secure our homeland. Doge has been dismantling and reshaping DHS for six months now. Has the Republican majority held a single hearing or called a single witness to examine these massive changes to the department? No, they have not.
▶ 5:23:00More recently, Elon Musk and Donald Trump had a very messy breakup. Perhaps men are just too fragile and emotional for these jobs. But I dig but I digress. We did in fact learn a few things during this breakup. On June 6, Mus tweeted, "Time to drop the really big bomb. Donald Trump is in the Epstein files." Thi that is the real reason that th that is the real reason they have not been made public.
▶ 5:23:30Have a nice day, DJT. Wow. Now, that's some inside information. Elon Musk, Donald Trump's right-hand man, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help get Trump elected, says the president is tied to the notorious child sex predator. And look what we're talking about today. And indeed, over the past several days, Trump has moved to permanently squash the release of the Epstein files. Now, my Republican colleagues have long expressed a desire to fight human trafficking.
▶ 5:24:01Woohoo! talking about it today, but yet scared to call out to ask the administration to release the Epstein files. Surely that must be something we can all get behind. Surely we can all agree that if Elon Musk has evidence that Donald Trump is or has ever been involved in child sex trafficking, then Mus should be compelled to come share his evidence with this committee and the public. Now, I'm sure some of my colleagues may argue that Mus is just blowing smoke. But who's to say? Let's find out.
▶ 5:24:31I might have my doubts, but if you think that under oath, Mus would admit he does not actually have any evidence to back up his claims, then great. Let's find out. Let's do some real work on this committee. With that, I yield back. Gentle lady yields back. The chair recognizes Mr. Ogles from the state of Tennessee for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 5:24:53I'd like to enter into the record for unanimous consent uh a new story by News Nation uh updated on June 7th, 2023 by Mr. Ventura and Mr. Markham talking about the NOS's using tax dollars to re relocate migrants. And quite frankly, without objection, the document will be entered into the record. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And and when you look at their track record and some statistics I'll quote and most of this can be directed at you, Miss Hopper, but to the other two witnesses, feel free to chime in.
▶ 5:25:22we'll just have an open dialogue is they were clearly putting profit over the safety of these children. Now, my colleagues on the other side have spent most of the day disrupting this hearing, stalling this hearing with procedural votes. Meanwhile, we have 325,000 children that are unaccounted for. We have 65,000 calls of concern that went unanswered. And yet, all they want to talk about is Trump and Elon Musk. some tweet has since been redacted.
▶ 5:25:52I mean, it's nonsense. And and by the way, you know, one of my colleagues mentioned religion, religion, you know, saying that uh you know, we we over here are righteous. And yet, I do believe if you look at the context of this hearing, they're the ones that are quoting the pope and the Catholic bishops and all the other stuff. Meanwhile, I want to talk about the children. How do we find these 300,000 kids? How many of them are being sexually abused right now?
▶ 5:26:16I think in uh your testimony, 70% or one of your testimony, 70% u of the records revolving children were had were falsified. 80% of the women coming into an El Paso shelter were sexually assaulted. Where's the outrage on the other side, folks? That's what this is about. There should be a nonpartisan committee. We're talking about the safety of the homeland.
▶ 5:26:42talking about 300,000 children that right now could be be being raped systematically and trafficked. And they want to talk about the boogeyman. I want to talk about the boogeyman, too. I want to talk about the all the predators and the gangbangers and the murderers that were allowed into this country just in The ICE raid where they arrested murderers, rapists, traffickers, child traffickers. That's who they're Let's talk about these 300,000 kids.
▶ 5:27:11How do we find them? How do we undo this mess? And oh, by the way, the idea that none of these folks are criminals. If you came into this country on false pretense, that is a crime. They're not migrants. They're illegal And they're breaking our laws. And I've had enough of this crap. Let's talk about the facts. the facts around this hearing and these children.
▶ 5:27:36Miss Hopper, there needs to be complete coordination with the state and local agencies. They know that UAC's were sent to their specific districts, their counties. There's a database on the OR website specifically outlining how many UACs were sent to to certain counties and cities across all 50 states.
▶ 5:27:59And so with the help of the local, state, and federal agencies, that would be a good place to start. But a lot of these state agencies are stonewalling and blocking our efforts because they want to protect illegal aliens over finding unaccompanied One of the best ways to find these children is to dramatically ramp up work site enforcement by ICE.
▶ 5:28:25A lot of these kids are working in factory farms, weed farms, uh, all across the country. And until ICE begins increasing their activities there, I don't think we will find a lot of these missing kids. Mr. Ross, Congressman, what what I'll say, I mean, I'll echo that they came here because they wanted to work obviously in in horrible conditions. And what I'll say and what I'll address is that um, it's false to say that these raids that are happening are not targeting the worst of the worst.
▶ 5:28:51I was with Border Patrol in Los Angeles County just recently and they did an operation at a Home Depot and they found a convicted pedophile because he's there looking for work and those are the people that they want to hire to bring them into their homes around their families. It it it doesn't work that way. So, um I I would concur that workite operations need to increase, not not decrease by any Mr. Chairman, you know, I thank you for the importance of this hearing and the topic.
▶ 5:29:17I thank you to the witnesses, but as we look at the systematic trafficking that we've seen across this country, Miss Hopper, you're an expert on this. When you look at the distribution networks that the cartels have into our country, a distribution network, by the way, that would rival FedEx or or you know, the United Postal Service and their ability to move product and and for them product is human trafficking. Product is kids and women. And so with that, I yield back. Gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Puerto Rico, Mr. Hernandez.
▶ 5:29:47Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I would like to just briefly raise my voice in favor of NOS's and the service they provided. As a law student, I worked with NOS's dedicated to immigrants, but not just to make sure that they could normalize their immigration status. I worked with immigrants on behalf of a cause that I think all Republicans support. I worked with immigrants to help them assimilate to United States culture and identity.
▶ 5:30:15I helped them study for their US citizenship exams and I could see their hope, their commitment. I would even say they were more patriotic and committed to this nation than many people who are born and raised here.
▶ 5:30:31I worked with NOS's to help victims of domestic violence who fled their home countries with their children uh fleeing from uh terrible terrible terrible life circumstances and people who found hope and security in this nation and people that I was proud to see this nation welcome to provide them safety and security and a brighter future.
▶ 5:30:56So I really profoundly regret to see this Congress to see this committee attack NOS's so broadly uh under a false pretext that this is really to protect the people. We are attacking people. We are attacking institutions that help people and I want to make sure that history reflects the side that we the Democratic caucus this side of the aisle stand on today. Thank you and I yield Mr. Chairman. I'm sorry. Who wants to be recognized?
▶ 5:31:26Uh Crane from Arizona. Mr. Crane. Uh request to enter into the record from oversight project article track tracking movement of illegal aliens from NOS's to the US interior. Without objection be shall be admitted into the record. Thank you. Mr. Mr. Thompson.
▶ 5:31:43I'd like to enter into the record the statement of Bishop Nicholas Deasio of Brooklyn, New York, in which he states, "From our Catholic faith perspective, the issue is ultimately about human Without objection, we enter into the Uh with the gentleman yielding, the chair now recognizes the gentle lady from South Carolina, Miss Biggs. Thank you, Chairman Guest, and thank you to our witnesses for your patience today.
▶ 5:32:12Um, this hearing is important, and I think it's is crucial that we know the role that the NOS's played in the invasion of our country. While the Biden administration opened the doors, the NOS's fueled the invasion. They provided or coordinated transportation to the interior of the country along with food, shelter, legal fees, and more. all with your tax dollars. Mr.
▶ 5:32:38Chairman, I'd like to submit for the record uh this piece of the free press titled Nonprofits Are Making Billions Off the Border Crisis. Without objection, it shall be entered into the record. So, Global Refuge, one of these Trojan horses, listed $22 million in revenue in 2022.
▶ 5:33:05up from 50 million in 2018 which is 80 86% of that money came directly from the taxpayers. Another organization which we've already talked about today Endeavor uh received 99.6% of its revenue from taxpayers and these groups made profits by forcing us to pay for the invasion of our own country.
▶ 5:33:30So, my first question, and I would really like to leave it open for any of you um to please feel free to comment, but it's kind of simple. Uh how many illegals did these bad actors bring in? And how much of our hard-earned tax dollars did they spend?
▶ 5:33:47And did they even attempt to determine if any of the illegals that flooded our homeland were violent Uh, Congresswoman, what what I'll say is that it it's also not just the unaccompanied minors that were processed through. Um, there there wasn't DNA testing being done with family units who were being presented and turning themselves over to Border Patrol. So, there were quote unquote family units that these NOS's also helped and processed.
▶ 5:34:13But, you know, you ask any uh any border official, any border enforcement, they'll tell you that they they rent kids out to to act as family units or they're trafficking these kids as family units. So I I know understandably we're we're talking a lot about the unaccompanied minors and that should definitely have a big focus, but we we also can't forget the the fake family units that took advantage of the B administration not doing DNA testing to ensure that those were actual That was a very
▶ 5:34:44good question. Thank you so much for that. Um, between the ports of entry, it's really hard to determine how many bad actors and criminal networks came into the interior of the country during the Biden Harris administration. I know it's frustrating to hear that we keep mentioning the Biden Harris administration, but when you have over 300,000 children that went missing under that administration, it is worth asking because they are still missing with these criminal networks. We worked with a other nonprofit in California. Again, we're not against nonprofits.
▶ 5:35:13We are against the ones that take taxpayer dollars and mismanage the funds and abuse the funds to reiterate for the record. But they found numerous cell phones of smugglers. The the GOAT initiative works with local law enforcement and turns over cell phones that include data as far as how to obtain a child once you're in the United States, what pathways to take, and even include the nuclear posture of the United States.
▶ 5:35:41These are not, you know, your average construction worker. And when you say they have no criminal background, please understand that that might be in the United States. You don't know where they came from, their country of origin, what their criminal background was in their country of origin. On top of the fact that when they had their false documents, if their documents said Mickey Mouse, that is what Border Patrol wrote down.
▶ 5:36:08So, how do we know what their backgrounds truly are from their home countries when we did no meaningful checking of the false documents that they provided to our agencies? Thank Congresswoman. To to answer the heart of your question, I think it's virtually all of the illegals that were released into the interior.
▶ 5:36:27Just like it's virtually impossible for an illegal to get to the southern border without going through cartel custody, it is virtually impossible for the illegals once they are released to not reap a direct or indirect benefit from the nonprofit system. That's why this is so detestable. They had built a system on parallel with the cartels. The NOS's and the Biden administration operated as the final chain in the link of this human smuggling not only of children but of everyone who came illegally.
▶ 5:36:57Thank you very much. Um, it's very disheartening and I appreciate your insight on this. And with that, I yield The gentle lady yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Carter, for five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 5:37:11I wholeheartedly support all of my Democratic colleagues efforts today to demand information and accountability about the cruel and profoundly unamerican mass deportation agenda being undertaken by the Donald Trump administration and his allies as well as this administration's dereliction of duty and federal disaster response amid hurricane season.
▶ 5:37:34However, I would like to take a few moments to highlight a critical financial issue affecting families and businesses in in Flood insurance. Flood risk is not just a coastal issue. It affects all of us. Since 1996, flood events have occurred in all 50 states and 99% of them in the US counties.
▶ 5:37:59That means nearly every single American community has experienced the economic, environmental or emotional toll of flooding. With climate change the frequency and severity of major storms, the need for accessible, affordable, and transparent flood insurance has never been more urgent.
▶ 5:38:20Unfortunately, FEMA's implementation of risk rating 2.0, know the new methodology for calculating national flood insurance program and FIP premiums have created serious affordability problems for our constituents. Let me be clear, Congress did not pass legislation to mandate risk rating 2.0, nor did we have any meaningful input in its development. FEMA claims that this overhaul falls under its administrative authority.
▶ 5:38:50However, FEMA bypassed a formal rulemaking process, conducted no economic impact analysis, and declined to brief Congress before the implementing of one of the most sweeping changes to NFIP in its history. In fact, FEMA has continuously refused to release its full risk rating 2.0 methodology.
▶ 5:39:12Policy holders do not have access to their property level rating factors input inputs except for the few listed on their declaration page which are made available only after coverage is The lack of transparency is unacceptable in my district. The consequences are real and deeply concerning. Premiums are rising drastically and in some cases unpredictably exasperating our ongoing housing affordability crisis.
▶ 5:39:43Louisiana is not alone in this issue. There are over 1.5 million policy holders in Florida and approximately 700,000 in Texas among others. On average, risk rating 2.0 and NFIP policies will cost $1,800 representing a 103.6 six increase over legacy rates. There are 17 states with higher average rates than Louisiana.
▶ 5:40:10Rates will increase by over 50% in 41 states. Some of the states with the highest average risk rates include Maine at 183% rate increase. West Virginia at 171, Mississippi at 149%, Florida at 131, and New York at 85%. Among metropolitan areas, my district in New Orleans has the second highest average insurance coverage behind only Miami.
▶ 5:40:38For working families already struggling to keep up with the mortgage payments, high insurance costs could mean having to choose between flood protection and other essential needs. Many have opted out of NFIP, altogether, leaving them and their entire communities vulnerable and uninsured in the face of disaster. Within just two years of implementing risk rating 2.0, NFIP lost over 215,000 policy holders and nearly f or nearly 5% of all policies.
▶ 5:41:08States that saw the biggest decline in policy holders were West Virginia losing nearly 20% of policies. Oklahoma about 18% and Texas with 15% decline. not far behind. Over one in 10 policy holds Louisiana have at Louisiana has opted out. This is not a partisan issue.
▶ 5:41:28I have been highly critical of risk rating uh 2.0 throughout the Biden administration with with even former secretary Mayarchas acknowledge that risk rating 2.0 is flawed. Yet during both Biden and Trump administrations, FEMA continued to push forward without correcting course, listening to Congress or properly engaging the people most affected by these changes. The bottom line is this. We need a flood insurance system that protects, not penalizes American families.
▶ 5:41:57It should be grounded in science, equity, and economic reality, but also accountability and transparency. Congress must have a role in shaping the future of the NFIP and our constituents deserve to know how decisions impacting their homes and livelihoods are made. Mr. Chair, I'd like to enter into the record this research from the Coalition of Sustainable Flood Insurance, which lays out details on this issue.
▶ 5:42:25without objection, as well as a letter from the entire delegation, Louisiana delegation, bipartisan, Republican, Democrat, my dear friend, Mr. Higgins, who's not sitting here now, also signed off on this letter. Without objection, it will also be I urge my colleagues to uh this letter demanding information on how public mitigation projects have impacted Louisiana. To date, we have not gotten any information.
▶ 5:42:50I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan common sense legislative efforts that will bring oversight, affordability, accountability, fairness back to the National Flood Insurance Program because flood insurance isn't something that we should wait. However, we need to do this now. Mr. Mr.
▶ 5:43:08Chairman, pursuant to clause 2K6 rule 11, I move that the committee subpoena Elizabeth Ashley, assistant administrator of the federal insurance uh directorate of FEMA to provide this committee with the details and agencies has been withholding from Congress. Is there a motion? Here's a motion. Move to table. Motion to table in here somewhere. Here we are.
▶ 5:43:38Uh the gentleman moves to table. Uh the motion to table is privileged and Uh we will allow a few moments for members to return to the committee room as the room uh let the record reflect is very vacant at this point. Uh so uh we will suspend momentarily uh for that to take place.
▶ 5:44:14What did that turn in?
▶ 5:57:53Uh there has been a motion to table uh in this matter brought forth by Mr. Evans. Um the uh motion is privileged. It is non-debatable. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. All those opposed, please signify by saying no. And the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. Is there a motion? Motion to have a recorded vote.
▶ 5:58:20Motion for recorded vote has been requested by the ranking member. If the clerk would please call the role. Mr. Green of Tennessee. Mr. McCall, Mr. Higgins. Mr. Jimenez. Mr. Jimenez. votes I. Mr.
▶ 5:58:50Fluger, Mr. Garberino, my apologies, Mr. Fluger, is that I Yes, Mr. Garberino, Miss Green, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Latrell. Mr. Latrell votes I. Mr. Strong Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Bene I Mr. Bkine votes I.
▶ 5:59:20Mr. Crane Mr. Crane votes I. Mr. Ogles Mr. Ogles votes I. Mrs. Biggs I. Mrs. Biggs votes I. Mr. Evans Mr. Evans votes I. Mr. McKenzie Mr. McKenzie votes I. Mr. Knot. Mr. Knot votes I. Ranking member Ranking member Thompson votes no.
▶ 5:59:51Mr. Mr. Swell votes no. Mr. Koreah, Mr. Koreah votes no. Mr. Tannidar. Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Magaziner votes no. Mr. Goldman. Mrs. Ramirez. Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs.
▶ 6:00:15Macyver Miss Johnson Mr. Hernandez Mr. Hernandez votes no Miss Poe Mr. Carter Mr. Carter votes no Mr. Green of Texas votes no Mr. Green of Texas votes no are there any other members who wish to be recorded Mr. Clerk, how am I recorded?
▶ 6:00:44Chairman has not yet been recorded. Guest votes I. Chairman, guest votes I. You will please report the totals on that vote. Mr. Chairman, there were 12 eyes and eight nos. In the opinion of the chair, based on the recorded vote, uh the motion passes and the uh request has been tabled. Mr. Carter, did you yield back? I was trying to think, have you yielded the rest of your time, I believe, if I'm not mistaken.
▶ 6:01:15All right. At this time then, the chair would recognize Mr. Evans for 5 minutes for his questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, of course, to the witnesses for coming. And that, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to submit for the record this committee's report from last year in which then CBP chief patrol agents told the committee that quote, "NOS's will facilitate the migrants travel plans to wherever that's going to be while they wait for their immigration hearing." and quote, "Once they're released from our custody, the NOS's then provide them with potentially transportation up
▶ 6:01:45to the Phoenix area or other areas of the interior to help them make travel arrangements, things like Without objection, the document will be entered into the record. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And also for the record, a statement by now CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott in this same report in which he says that cartels and NOS's actually coach would be border crossers on claiming asylum after being apprehended by the border patrol. Without objection, be entered into the Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 6:02:13And uh for everybody that stuck with us through today, I think it's been extremely clear that certain NOS's have benefited significantly from the Biden administration's open border policies to the point where they actually found migrants before they reached the border to encourage them to illegally enter the United States in return for all of the amnesty and other benefits they could obtain.
▶ 6:02:36more benefits in fact than many American citizens receive including free cell phones and upscale hotel stays. Mr. Howell, first question will be to you. Your organizations in-depth study track devices given to illegal immigrants by border NOS's and showed unsurprisingly that my part of the world, Denver, Colorado and the surrounding areas was one of their more popular final destinations.
▶ 6:03:01The sanctuary state policies in Colorado and Denver have allowed NOS's and government entities to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to provide services to illegal immigrants and have proliferated crime in our area, making Colorado this year the second most dangerous state in the country.
▶ 6:03:18When the Biden admin and Democrats in Colorado reimburse NOS's to provide these services and benefits, how does that incentivize illegal immigration and encourage criminal enterprises to conduct business in the United States and in places like Denver and Colorado? Simply put, if you build it, they will come. It is a completely costfree for the illegal alien transportation and a funding stream with everything they could ever need or want. things beyond what are even applied or given to our poor and needy in the United States.
▶ 6:03:49It also takes a lot of pressure off the cartels and makes it much easier for them to sell in the first instance for an illegal to come to the border in the first place. And don't take my word for it. Look how the border is secured now. People aren't even trying to come because they know these benefits aren't available to them even in the event they're able to get in. Thank you. Uh Miss Hopper, next question will be to you. Um, I was a cop and a soldier for, uh, about 22 years combined. And I am Latino.
▶ 6:04:18And unfortunately, I know through those experience and others, uh, exactly how bad the crime situation is in Colorado. Uh, we're the national headquarters for Trenagua, which I think we all know now, violent Venezuelan prison gang that does a lot of bad things to include human trafficking. Um, you have sub substantial experience in the dangers that unaccompanied minors face on their journey to the border. and then once released into the United States. Currently, the federal government is trying to review sponsors in Colorado.
▶ 6:04:49We've heard earlier today uh over 300,000 kids that we're trying to track down. Federal government has reached out to Colorado to try to see if these kids that may be in Colorado are in safe environments. However, state laws in Colorado that my governor has signed more than once are preventing the release of this basic information to federal investigators. and obstructing the ability uh to do just basic safety checks.
▶ 6:05:16How do state policies that restrict federal oversight of unaccompanied minors and NOS's that fail to properly screen these sponsors enable cartels like Trenagua and MS-13 to exploit or recruit children in the United States and then again specifically in sanctuary jurisdictions like Colorado?
▶ 6:05:37It absolutely encourages cartels and criminal networks to direct their activity to sanctuary cities and states knowing that those protections will exist for them and knowing that there isn't that cooperation and federal oversight and accountability for that. So unfortunately, I don't know what the motivation is for your state's governor, and I I'm sorry for that because of the fact that that isn't helping these children.
▶ 6:06:05That isn't helping the citizens of Colorado. That isn't helping your constituents when you're protecting illegal aliens over that of those that elected you. Thank you. And I got four seconds. Chairman, yield back. Uh the gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes a gentleman from Texas, Mr. Green. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr.
▶ 6:06:28Chairman, I'm concerned about I'm concerned about the 37 children who've lost their lives to the Guadalupe River in Texas. I'm concerned that we're not having a hearing to address the needs of these These are people had their children at a summer camp.
▶ 6:06:58They expected to pick their children up. They didn't expect to see their children waste away. Many of them haven't been I'm concerned about children, too. But I'm concerned about all children. I don't segregate children. I don't conclude that some children have lives that are worth more than others. I want to see something done about those children.
▶ 6:07:27Why aren't we having a hearing to deal with the needs of the people of the state of Texas and other states too that may have similar needs? I don't segregate. I integrate children. Let's do something about all children and to proclaim this hearing to be one that is related to charities.
▶ 6:07:56I'm going to defend Catholic charities. I don't believe you think that Catholic charities would have 65,000 children mistreated. I just don't believe you think that. I don't think so. Catholic Charities does an outstanding I I I I would love to think that we could resolve all of these things today, but apparently we cannot.
▶ 6:08:27Let me go to something that I think would be relevant for this hearing as it relates to the state of Texas. This, my friends, is a picture of Mr. David Richardson Have you seen the acting FEMA administrator? Where is he?
▶ 6:08:58Why is he not here? To help us understand what's happening to those children in Texas to explain to those parents why FEMA has been feckless and ineffective. I have intelligence in my hand indicating that an internal FEMA assessment ordered by David Richardson, the current senior official performing the duties of
▶ 6:09:28FEMA administrator dated May 12th, 2025, paint a dire and deeply troubling According to these internal reviews, FEMA is fundamentally unprepared to respond to national emergencies due to severe workforce Workforce reductions, terminated contracts,
▶ 6:10:00and systemic management under the current Trump administration. I care about all children. I want to help resolve any issues that we have with children. I don't want to see us decide that we can't have a hearing to deal with this man who's missing in action. Let me have this, please. Missing in action.
▶ 6:10:29Missing at a time when he ought to be on the ground in the state of Texas. Where is he? Why aren't we subpoenenaing him? Why don't we get him here? Well, let's find out if we really are serious about Let's find out if we can get him here. Mr.
▶ 6:10:50chairman, given that the won't appear and can't be subpoenaed because you've already taken that issue up pursuant to clause 2K6 of rule 11.
▶ 6:11:07I move that the committee David Richardson, senior official performing the duties of FEMA I want to see where you stand. Why can't we have him here? Why can't he come in and talk about You have these three witnesses here to talk about the other children. Good. Let's get him here. I so moved, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, gentleman's time is expired.
▶ 6:11:38Is there a Move to table. Motion to table. All those in favor of the motion to table. And before we call the motion, the motion is non-debatable. uh and uh is privileged. So all those in favor of the motion to table, please signify by saying I. Any opposed? No. No. Mr. Chairman, of the chair, the eyes have it. Yes, sir. Mr.
▶ 6:12:02Green Green of Texas would have this committee go on record explaining why recorded vote has been requested. Mr. you will please call the role. Mr. Green of Tennessee. Mr. McCall. Mr. Higgins. Mr. Jimenez. Mr. Jimenez votes no.
▶ 6:12:33Mr. Fluger. Mr. Garberino. Miss Green, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Latrell. Mr. Latrell votes I. Mr. Strong Mr. Strong votes I. Mr. Bkine, Mr. Crane, Mr. Ogles, Mrs.
▶ 6:13:02Biggs, Mrs. Biggs votes I. Mr. Mr. Evans votes I. Mr. McKenzie Mr. McKenzie votes I. Mr. Knott. Mr. Knott votes I. Ranking member Thompson. Ranking member Thompson votes no. Mr. Mr. Koreah. Mr. Koreah votes no.
▶ 6:13:32Mr. Tanadar Mr. Mr. Tannidar votes no. Mr. Mr. Goldman, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy votes no. Mrs. Mcyver, Miss Johnson, Mr. Hernandez, Miss Poe, Mr. Carter.
▶ 6:14:02Mr. Mr. Carter votes no. Mr. Green of On behalf of the 37 children who've lost their lives, Green votes nay. Mr. Green of Texas votes no. Do any members wish to change their vote? Mr. Chairman, I wish to uh change my vote to yes. Mr. votes I. Are there any other members who have not yet been recorded that wish to vote? Mr. Crane votes I. Mr.
▶ 6:14:32Clerk, how am I recorded? The chairman has not been recorded. Guest votes I. Chairman, guest votes I. If the clerk will please report the total. Mr. Chairman, on that vote there were nine eyes's and six nazs. The motion to table passes and the gentleman's request for subpoena will not be taken up.
▶ 6:15:00Uh the gentleman has yielded. Uh at this time the chair would recognize the gentleman from Mr. Pa from the gentleman from the great state of Pennsylvania, Mr. McKenzie. Thank you, Mr. chairman and it is truly an honor to be a member of the homeland security committee where we deal with so many important issues on a daily basis and the breadth of the topics uh that we are faced with dealing with and discussing is quite extensive.
▶ 6:15:30Uh I look forward to continuing the work of this committee on a wide range of issues, some of them raised here today as we move forward. But the topic at hand is the failings of the Biden administration and how NOS's facilitated the Biden border crisis where millions of people entered our country illegally during those four years. Within that there was a subset of children.
▶ 6:15:59300,000 children were not effectively monitored and their whereabouts were sometimes unknown. That was questioned by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and fact checks were done on that. And what did the fact checks come back with?
▶ 6:16:14They said, "Well, you know, the 300,000, it wasn't that they were effectively monitored, but there were just 32,000 who didn't show up for a court case, and so they were at a greater risk of sex trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor. 32,000 children who are left vulnerable. And my colleagues on the other side of the aisle don't want to ask a single question about that.
▶ 6:16:43They don't want to talk about that topic. They want to sweep it under the rug. They want to turn a blind eye. They want to pretend that it didn't happen during the Biden administration because it is politically inconvenient. The welfare of children is something that they don't want to talk about all of a sudden because it happened under a Democratic administration.
▶ 6:17:04We have documented cases of rape of children, children working in extremely dangerous conditions and those unaccompanied minors when they went to do welfare checks on them, they're unaccounted for, simply gone. But they don't want to ask any questions about that. They don't want to talk about it. And so we have a responsibility as the adults in the room to govern, to do oversight, to do these questions that come before this committee to make sure every American is safe.
▶ 6:17:34And as a state representative, I contacted the Biden administration about this very issue. They didn't respond. I contacted our Democratic governor. He didn't respond. Nobody wants to talk about this issue of missing children in our country. So I am glad that we are having this hearing today because we need to get some answers. And so my first question is for Mr.
▶ 6:17:57How I want to understand the flow of money, what appropriation, what line item it was in, where it went to DHS and how it moved to either states to facilitate the movement of these children or to NOS's. So for the DHS money, most of it went out through FEMA and the SSP program, which was renamed about halfway through the Biden administration. It used to be called something else, but there would be a series of grant-making exercises. A lot of them are are publicly posted online where you can see the main organizations that received it.
▶ 6:18:27And after that, there are subgrants and other things. It's very difficult to follow the money all the way from federal government to end recipient, let alone the usage. So, it went through FEMA, which is intended for emergency management in situations like we faced in Texas and was just talked about, but the money was gone. It was used for these programs. You're telling me? That's absolutely correct. And they begged for more time and time again.
▶ 6:18:52Simply astonishing that the money would be used in that way and not for the safety of the American public in emergency situations. The next question I have is for Miss Hopper. Who is supposed to have the accountability and responsibility for the well-being of the children when they move from one agency to the other? Does the accountability and responsibility hand off to the next organization or is it Homeland Security since they did the initial intake, they're the ones who should be held ultimately accountable?
▶ 6:19:22It's a very good question. A lot of these agencies are pointing fingers at each other and without a clear established person or group or agency that's responsible. You had Border Patrol that had 48 hours to move these children, these men, these women through.
▶ 6:19:37then they went to HHS which depending on the situation would outsource that responsibility to NOS's and so without that clear oversight on who was responsible um it it really it makes it challenging to hold people accountable but at the end of the day I would look to whoever is issuing the grant there is a scope there are deliverables there is requirements that need to be met and so the grant issuer is responsible
▶ 6:20:07for managing that contract to make sure everything is being met before issuing more monies. I appreciate that. I see my time is expiring and so I would just like to say that this should just be the start of the conversation about what we can do to protect children in this country. uh whether it's more accountability that needs to be done at the homeland security and officials who were in the Biden administration that let this happen on work site enforcement where children are being employed in dangerous violent situations.
▶ 6:20:38Uh and also what we can do to stop anything like this from ever happening again by securing our border and having ultimate accountability throughout the entire chain of custody of these children. I just can't thank you enough for being here today. It's an important topic and we're going to continue to do our oversight as we move forward. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. The chairman recognizes the gentle lady from Arizona, Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 6:21:01I I really appreciate the opportunity to wave on to the Homeland Security Committee today to speak on an issue that's critically important to my district in Arizona. I represent one of the most diverse districts in the entire country where more than 64 languages are spoken. And first of all, I want to emphasize how vital and lifesaving the work of NOS's like Catholic Charities, like the International Rescue Committee, and like Lutheran Social Services has been to constituents in my district.
▶ 6:21:29They work day in and day out with very little resources to serve people. The Trump administration's mass deportation policy has demonstrably failed our nation and our values. According to a recent Galllet poll, a 62% margin of folks disapprove of the Trump administration's ineffective, authoritarian, and inhumane immigration policies. I have seen the cruel policies of this administration firsthand in my district.
▶ 6:21:59separating families, masked ICE agents showing up to immigration courts in downtown Phoenix where people had appointments ripping people away from their families. Detainees in inhumane conditions. This includes docker recipients. This includes green card holders. This includes US citizens and deporting innocent people without due process to foreign prisons. It is About one month ago, I went to the Eloy detention facility about an hour outside of my district in Phoenix.
▶ 6:22:28I spoke with more than a dozen women there who were desperate, devastated about the conditions that they're living in, facing significant harassment. They described a situation where one of the staff members literally forced them outside to march outside in 110°ree Arizona heat, marching around for over two hours, yelling at them. quote, "This is the price of the American dream." This is disgusting.
▶ 6:22:56And when we're talking about well-being of citizens, even if you believe that these people should not be in the United States, it is embarrassing that our country would be treating any human being like that. So, Mr. Howell, I have a couple of questions for you. Very straightforward, yes or no. Do you support this type of treatment of human beings? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. All the other Democrats haven't asked a question, so I kind of wasn't paying attention. Can you restate it?
▶ 6:23:24The detention center facility conditions in this country are atrocious. Women are being harassed. They're being dehumanized. In Arizona, they were forced to march outside in 120°ree heat until somebody fainted. I have visited these detention centers as part of my oversight responsibilities. I know you're a big fan of oversight. Do you think that is acceptable treatment of human beings by the United States of for illegal aliens to be detained throughout their immigration proceedings? Yes. to be treated to be I'm not taking your word for it. Okay.
▶ 6:23:54Um on top of that, uh 17 million Americans were just cut off of healthcare thanks to the vote of all of the Republican colleagues over here. Meanwhile, Republicans just gave more money to ICE, uh and DHS to the tune of $170 billion. It's now one of the largest funded um agencies in the world, about 16th or 17th in terms of what a military would look like for other countries. Again, you talked about the importance of oversight, Mr. Howell.
▶ 6:24:20Do you believe that members of Congress are legally allowed to conduct oversight of ICE detention facilities? As we've written extensively, the oversight project because we're trying to help keep your colleagues out of jail like Representative McCyver who was indicted. I misspoke when I said she was arrested. You as an individual member do not have oversight authority. Oversight authority by the rules of the house flows through the full house to the chairman and that right now is held by the majority. So, the statute that you site going to end up with more Democrats clogging our jails. I want to keep you out of jail.
▶ 6:24:50Claiming my time. Thank you. It is actually legal for members of Congress to go to detention center facilities that are operated by our government and to conduct oversight. That actually is legally allowed. That is incorrect. We also know that the Trump administration is funneling billions and billions upon of dollars to private for-profit prisons. I I heard today a number of six billion to NOS's that you all are so concerned about.
▶ 6:25:13the private prison companies in this in this country like Core Civic and Geog Group are making billions of dollars in profits because of the massive um uh you know and stunning corruption. They gave billions of dollars to elect Donald Trump. Now we're making sure that they make billions of dollars. And speaking of sheer corruption and cover-ups for the ultra wealthy, Mr. How, I know you have spent quite a lot of time talking about the importance of releasing the Epstein files, but now you're kind of paring Trump talking points about this being a Democratic hoax. I'm wondering if yesterday What did I say?
▶ 6:25:43Do you support the What? What if I pared about it being a It's a yes or no. Do you support? No, it's not. You said something false. I'm asking you to cite what you said, which is clearly false cuz I've not said what you said. Sir, how my question is, do you support the public release of the Epstein files? My answer is written in an op-ed in the Blaze, which you can read. I listen ma'am, I am trying to answer your question. You are lying to the American people in your misstatements. You just told a lie in this committee room. I'm trying to clear up the record. I am trying to answer if you let me speak.
▶ 6:26:11I think the public deserves way more transparency than we've got. I've written that. You've accused me of paring another topic which I have not. Bring the receipts. You're lying and everybody knows that the gentleman will The gentle lady's time has the gentle lady's time has expired. The chair will now recognize Mr. Knight for five minutes of questioning. Mr. Chairman, it's good to be here. Thank you for having this hearing. To the witnesses, I would say thank you. I think I owe you another thank you.
▶ 6:26:41This has been quite a long uh hearing and unfortunately the Democrats have obstructed, they've distracted and they've refused to engage in this topic because it shows that their narrative that they have authored is false. That what happened at the border was just perfectly uh in line with the norm. It was beneficial to the country. There was nothing they could do about it. Whatever whatever narrative they've written, it is false.
▶ 6:27:03This was a designed uh intentional and protected endeavor to bring millions of people into this country regardless of the consequences. It was designed by the Biden Harris administration and the Democrats on this committee are still defending it. It's just astounding. They will not say this hurts the American people. Unchecked illegal immigration hurts the American people. We could go on and on. I want to give you all some time to talk. Uh Mr. House.
▶ 6:27:33Starting with you, one of our esteemed colleagues on the other side declared that what happened at the Biden border was not politically motivated. It was all charity. Do you agree with that statement? Absolutely not. It was a highly coordinated plan executed by some of the most radical elements of this country for the sole purposes of ushering in a massive border crisis which caused tremendous damage and is still being defended to this day. Does that affect the uh electoral count or congressional aortionment? Absolutely. It affects the census.
▶ 6:28:02Do you think that that is lost on Democratic governors, senators, and congressmen and the Biden Harris It is absolutely not. Was there a plan to send them to politically sensitive states? I think they sent them everywhere, but the highest concentrations are the urban areas, which are clearly of benefit to the Democrat. Was there evidence that these individuals here illegally were coached on how to register to vote, where to go, what to say, how to evade capture from immigration officials? Correct. It's happening still today with these nonprofits coaching them on how to evade.
▶ 6:28:30As for the voting, as this country's voting system became a laughingstock with the mass mail and ballots, we have evidence from the Biden White House of a listening session they held with these radical activists where they were encouraging the Biden White House not to even ask people if they were citizens before trying to register them to vote. It's worth noting that the Democratic Party is staunchly and uniformly against voter ID no matter what state has been proposed. Just a random thought.
▶ 6:28:56Miss Hopper, what interest do international parties have in sending millions of people to this country illegally, including children? Uh, particularly the countries that we have visited, a lot of the individuals that are leaving are criminals in their home countries. So, their governments, their country's government have no interest in retaining them. You are having the worst of the worst leave your country.
▶ 6:29:22You are having a decrease in crime because the worst of the worst are leaving your country. Is there also financial incentives? Are they not sending money out of this country back to their home countries? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. They make money in this country. They're getting rid of criminals and then they're taking home money. Amazing. You mentioned earlier, I'm I'm sorry for being quick. There was one person at this call center for for abused children. 65,000 unanswered phone calls. Let's back up before they even got here.
▶ 6:29:50How many people were in charge of vetting the millions of people that came across the border? I would vetting is being used as though it happened. Vetting did not happen, did Not in a meaningful way. No, it was a process. They were processed into the country supposedly and not in a consistent way. Right now, I've got one more question, Mr. Rosa. I want to give you a chance to respond to Mr. Green.
▶ 6:30:14He looked right at you and said he didn't believe that you really thought that children were mistreated by a charity with the name Catholic in it. I want to make a distinction. It was not an extension of the Catholic Church. This was an ext a uniformly named charity with the word Catholic in it. But I want to give you a chance to respond. Well, well, yeah, because the reason why that was just a weird thing to say is because the the people at the border, they know how these things work, right? This this isn't new.
▶ 6:30:43So these these NOS's, not just Catholic Charities, a whole bunch of them, they knew that the vetting wasn't done, that this was being done haphazardly because of the volume, right? The volume overwhelmed the system. And so there are shortcuts that need to be taken by design. By design. Exactly. And so they still took the money to do that. They knew that these children were being abused before they arrived to the border. There was probably going to happen after they, you know, got to their final destination, whether it was a workplace or sexual abuse.
▶ 6:31:12and they still took the money because it was taxpayer dollars and they increased their their their pockets. And so it's it's very frustrating because I I've seen children as young as seven crossing by themselves. I saw a girl hold a 2-year-old and just them. So, uh you know, he doesn't he doesn't know me. You know, a lot has been said about our credibility, but I I I've been there and I've seen it and this was a big problem. Yep. Well, I'll close with this again. This was the this was the biggest problem that I have seen in my lifetime.
▶ 6:31:41And it's going to take decades to fix. And it's astounding that the Democratic Party not only built it, not only implemented it, but they are still defending it. And the American people need to know that if they get back in power, those open border policies and the flood of mass migration will return. We cannot let that happen. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Knut. uh with consultation with the ranking member uh there are no closing statements in this matter.
▶ 6:32:09I would like to thank our witnesses uh for being with us today uh and would like to remind our witnesses that members of the committee may have additional questions for you and we would ask uh the witnesses to respond to these in writing pursuant to committee rule 7E. The hearing record will be held open for a period of 10 days. Without objection, this committee stands