Overview

• Lawmakers questioned oversight witnesses on FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program and its role in funding transportation, lodging, and legal aid for migrants released under Biden-era catch-and-release policies.
• Republicans leading the probe cited a DHS Office of Inspector General audit that found more than half of agency grants to nonprofits lacked proper documentation.
• Oversight witnesses asserted that nonprofits acted as a de facto migrant-dispersal network by arranging flights, buses, and hotel stays for released migrants awaiting their immigration hearings.
• Inquiry letters to over 200 organizations identified groups like CHIRLA and the Chinese-American Planning Council for alleged involvement in anti-ICE protests and advice on evading immigration agents.
• Customs and Border Protection data recorded roughly 8.5 million migrant encounters during fiscal years 2023 and 2024, intensifying scrutiny of sanctuary city policies and nonprofit partnerships.