Tulsi Gabbard, a former US Representative from Hawaii, stated that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been profiting significantly from the border crisis by housing illegal immigrants, drawing a comparison between them and cartels. Gabbard made this statement on May 14.
Tulsi Gabbard on X
| X (Twitter)
"The Biden Admin is spending billions to pay corrupt “non-profits” who pad their pockets with taxpayer dollars — some executives pay themselves over $1M salary," said Gabbard, according to a post on X. "Just like the cartels, the more illegal immigrants who cross our border, the more money they make. They don't care about securing our border or serving the American people. We must stop them."
According to an article from the Free Press, the border crisis has proven beneficial for several nonprofits who have amassed considerable revenue from government contracts. These NGOs have seen an increase in federal funding as the influx of immigrants requiring housing grows. For instance, much of the federal funds from the Unaccompanied Children Program are allocated to NGOs in southern border states to provide accommodation for unaccompanied child aliens (UACs). Given that 130,000 UACs entered the US in 2022, these NGOs received significantly larger sums from the government.
The Free Press reports that between 2019 and 2022, Global Refuge, Southwest Key Programs, and Endeavors Inc., three of the largest involved NGOs, saw their revenue rise from $597 million to $2 billion. The CEOs of these nonprofits each earn more than $500,000 annually. Notably, the CEO of Southwest Key earns over $1 million. Dr. Anselmo Villarreal, the current CEO, receives a lower salary than his predecessor at Southwest Key, Juan Sanchez, who paid himself $3.5 million.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), taxpayer dollars are also distributed by NGOs to illegal immigrants en route to the U.S.. They reported that agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were allegedly providing taxpayer funds to faith-based nonprofit organizations. These organizations are reportedly funding what CIS described as "the worst mass migration in US history." Additionally, CIS found a United Nations report calling for $1.6 billion to be given to 200 NGOs in order to assist illegal migrants entering the U.S. in 2024. The UN is also seeking to expand the list of NGOs, which implies more taxpayer money will be allocated to these organizations.
"NGOs don't just encourage illegal immigration," said Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) in a post from March. "They support and participate in the trafficking of human beings."
Newsweek identifies Tulsi Gabbard as a former Congresswoman from Hawaii and a presidential candidate from 2020. More recently, she has been highlighted as a potential choice for Donald Trump’s running mate.
