House Homeland Security hearing examines role of NGOs in border crisis and gaps in tracking unaccompanied children

The House Committee on Homeland Security held a contentious hearing to examine the role federally funded nongovernmental organizations played during what Republican members termed the “border crisis,” focusing on how grants and contracts were used and how unaccompanied children (UACs) were tracked after placement.

The hearing opened with Chairman Michael Guest saying the committee would "examine the role that taxpayer supported nongovernmental agencies played in facilitating the border crisis under the Biden Harris administration," and alleging that FEMA grant programs and other federal funding were routed to NGOs that helped process and move migrants after release from custody.

Why it matters: Republican members and several witnesses described a system they said created both perverse incentives and accountability gaps — with large sums moving through FEMA and other programs to organizations that grew rapidly during the period of high migration. Democratic members and other witnesses objected to broad allegations that charities and faith-based organizations intentionally facilitated illegal conduct, and repeatedly warned the committee not to conflate the majority of humanitarian providers with actors accused of mismanagement.

Oversight and funding. Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, testified that FEMA’s Emergency…