The House Judiciary Committee opened an investigation Thursday into a Biden administration program that allows United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor so-called refugees, according to a letter obtained by the Federalist.
The letter to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration was authored by committee chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement chairman Tom McClintock (R-California).
‘Undermine both national security and the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.’
The chairmen wrote, “The Committee on the Judiciary continues to conduct oversight of the Biden Administration’s enforcement of federal immigration law. Despite allowing more than 7 million illegal aliens into the United States since January 2021, the Biden Administration continues to create avenues to fast track additional aliens into the country.”
According to the committee, the administration’s “Welcome Corps” program, announced by the State Department in 2023, had already received more than 15,000 private sponsorship applications as of May 1, 2024.
“Working in groups of at least five people, sponsors come together to help refugees transition to life in their new community, all along the way supported by tools and resources from the Welcome Corps as well as ongoing guidance from resettlement experts,” the program’s website explains.
Sponsors help “with things like finding and furnishing an apartment, getting a job, enrolling kids in school, and accessing community services.”
“Your group can be matched with an individual/family or you can apply to sponsor someone you know,” the website states.
The letter noted that the department had already admitted during a previous briefing that “such a massive resettlement program is vulnerable to fraud and exploitation,” it read.
The program has reportedly warned American citizens and lawful permanent residents to “beware of scams and anyone who asks for or offers payment or services to complete an application.”
The committee expressed concerns that the administration’s program could be vulnerable to “potential abuses” that might “undermine both national security and the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.”
The chairmen requested that the State Department provide the committee with additional information about Welcome Corps, including the total number of applications, the number of applications with indicators of fraudulent activity, and the number of applications that have been ruled as fraudulent.
In addition, the committee requested “all documents and communications” regarding how the department reviews applications for potential fraud and any investigation into fraudulent activity.
Center for Immigration Studies executive director Mark Krikorian recently posted on X warning that pro-Hamas students protesting against Israel could use the Welcome Corps program to bring Palestinians to the U.S.
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