An expert witness testified before a House Homeland Security Subcommittee, claiming Democrats have deliberately “opened the border” over the past four years to bring in millions of new voters. Mike Howell of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project argued that Democrats cannot win elections with only American votes and have used mass immigration to reshape the electorate.
“South of the border in Mexico, we discovered flyers encouraging illegals to vote for Biden when they entered the country,” Howell told the subcommittee on Tuesday. He also pointed to efforts by the White House to avoid discouraging illegal voting, stating that nonprofits and partner organizations were advised that no action was needed to prevent noncitizens from casting ballots.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) echoed these concerns while promoting his Remain in Mexico Act, which would reinstate the Trump-era policy ending catch and release. Gill accused Democrats of using mass migration as a political strategy, stating, “For four years, Democrats and President Biden inundated our communities with over 15 million illegal aliens … they did it as part of a cynical ploy to structurally rig our elections by importing a new electorate.”
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has set records for granting legal status. From Fiscal Year 2021 through 2024, nearly 3.5 million green card holders were fast-tracked into U.S. citizenship, the highest of any single presidential term. However, USCIS recently announced a pause in funding for NGOs working to accelerate naturalization, signaling a potential policy shift.
Howell emphasized that the Biden administration could not have implemented its border policies without extensive coordination with NGOs. He claimed that the federal government directed an estimated $6 billion to a network of UN agencies and 230 NGOs to facilitate mass migration, essentially turning the Border Patrol into a “welcome center, a daycare, and glorified Uber drivers” for illegal immigrants.
To address the issue, Howell urged Congress to pass a provision in H.R. 2, the leading Republican-backed border security bill, which would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from paying NGOs to facilitate illegal immigration. He argued that cutting off these funds should be a priority, stating, “Prohibiting the funding of the invasion itself through NGOs should be a commonsense staple.”
As part of his first actions back in office, President Donald Trump froze federal funding to NGOs like Catholic Charities and Lutheran Family Services due to their role in resettling migrants in U.S. communities. Some of these NGOs have since sued the administration over the funding freeze.
The debate over mass migration, illegal voting concerns, and federal funding of NGOs is expected to remain a central issue in congressional discussions on border security and election integrity.
