The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spent $20 billion in taxpayer funds on grants for migrants during President Joe Biden’s tenure, fueling concerns that federal dollars were used to incentivize illegal immigration. According to data obtained by OpenTheBooks and reported by the New York Post, the funding covered purchases for cars, homes, college tuition, and business loans, among other services.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an agency within HHS, distributed approximately $20 billion in grants to nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) between fiscal years 2021 and 2024. These funds, categorized as “obligated spending,” mean that while not all funds have been disbursed, they are set to be distributed.
Spending escalated sharply under Biden’s policies. ORR distributed:
- $2.3 billion in 2021
- $3.3 billion in 2022
- $10 billion in 2023
- $4.2 billion in 2024
The Biden administration significantly expanded the number of migrants eligible for ORR-funded benefits. In 2023 alone, over $10 billion was allocated to assist the record influx of foreign nationals entering the U.S.
NGOs received up to $1.7 billion in direct payments to cover expenses such as housing, emergency support, Medicaid care, and business loans up to $15,000. However, a significant portion of these funds—$12.4 billion over five years—was directed toward placing unaccompanied migrant children, many of whom were sent to unvetted sponsors. Reports indicate that nearly 300,000 children were placed in homes without thorough background checks.
John Hart, CEO of OpenTheBooks, criticized ORR for abusing taxpayer funds. “The Shining City on a Hill, with its walls and doors, makes room for legal immigrants and legitimate refugees and asylum seekers, but the ORR has made a mockery of that vision in recent years,” he said.
Hart further accused ORR of outsourcing funds to NGOs to evade accountability, describing the system as “immoral and exploitative.” He also raised concerns over Robin Dunn Marcos, the former ORR director who oversaw these programs before stepping down as President Donald Trump took office.
“While Dunn Marcos may have disappeared from ORR, our questions remain over whether certain nonprofit organizations received special treatment amid the billions in grants furnished by the government office,” Hart added. “What’s clear is that ORR has funded a constellation of NGOs deployed in border states and nationwide, who give out aid designed to attract even more migrants.”
The revelations add to growing scrutiny of Biden-era immigration policies, particularly the administration’s reliance on taxpayer-funded programs to assist foreign nationals amid a historic surge in illegal border crossings.
