Originally published May 12, 2023 6:00 pm PDT
The United States government, under the leadership of the Biden administration, has been providing complimentary cell phones to individuals entering the country illegally from the southern border, according to a video that emerged from Brownsville, Texas, National File reports.
On Thursday, footage from Brownsville displayed a sizable group of male asylum seekers, freshly arrived in the U.S., receiving bags from federal workers.
The video highlighted the recipients’ surprise and delight upon discovering that the bags contained brand-new iPhones, gifts financed by U.S. taxpayers.
Intriguingly, despite professing the need for asylum in the U.S., these individuals appeared adept at using smartphones, leading some to question the severity of their conditions in their countries of origin.
Back in April 2022, then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the Biden administration was indeed providing complimentary cell phones to undocumented migrants.
When asked if the U.S. government was funding smartphones for these individuals, Psaki responded affirmatively, explaining that the purpose of these devices “is all part of our effort as individuals come into the United States and individuals who are entering who will proceed to immigration proceedings to monitor and track where they are.”
For comparison, the average U.S. citizen spends approximately $127 per month on their cell phone and associated services, National File points out.
However, the rising inflation under the current economic climate, attributed to Biden’s policies, is adding significant financial pressure on American households.
In the face of this, Biden’s advice to struggling American families has been to opt for generic brands, as reported by Just the News.
The actual cost to the taxpayer for these free smartphones has not been disclosed by the Biden administration.
As the expiration of Title 42 approaches this Friday at midnight, which has previously acted as a deterrent to illegal crossings, it’s anticipated that the southern border will experience an increase in undocumented migrants.
Correspondingly, it’s expected that the distribution of free smartphones to this group will continue, according to National File’s report.
In a recent Fox News segment, correspondent Bill Melugin reported the presence of migrants with government cell phones.
“If you just walk to downtown Brownsville now, go to the bus station, you’ll see Venezuelan men with DHS packets and government cell phones all over the place waiting to get on a bus to various cities around the country,” Melugin said.
The mention of government cell phones indicated that these migrants were being provided with communication devices by some government agency, potentially the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
