The focus is on taxpayer-funded housing assistance for aliens in the U.S. and ORR’s relationship with Church World Service and its Refugee Housing Solutions.
The United States House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary has raised concerns about the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies, which it claims prioritize illegal aliens and refugees over U.S. citizens and legal residents.
In a letter addressed to the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Tuesday, the Committee highlighted its oversight of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a component of HHS.
The Committee noted that since July 2024, it has been seeking information on ORR's coordination with other government agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Homeland Security.
The focus is on taxpayer-funded housing assistance for aliens in the U.S. and ORR’s relationship with Church World Service and its Refugee Housing Solutions.
In its letter, the Committee referenced its July 24 request for documents detailing ORR's role in providing housing referrals for refugees and parolees. ORR was asked to produce the material by August 7, 2024, but failed to meet the deadline.
Despite multiple follow-up inquiries on August 7, August 19, and September 3, the Committee noted that HHS has yet to provide the requested documents.
On September 11, the Committee again wrote to ORR Director Robin Dunn Marcos, reiterating its requests and urging cooperation.
By September 25, Committee staff inquired again, but no materials were provided, further frustrating the oversight efforts.
The letter reads, “The Committee on the Judiciary continues to conduct oversight of the Biden-Harris Administration's enforcement of federal immigration law and its implementation of policies that prioritize illegal aliens and refugees over U.S. citizens and other legal residents.
“This oversight includes an examination of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a component entity of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“To that end, since July 2024, we have sought information about ORR's coordination with the State Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Homeland Security to use taxpayer dollars to pay for housing assistance for aliens in the country.
“On July 24, 2024, we wrote to the Director of ORR to request documents and communications relating to ORR's role in providing housing assistance and housing referrals for refugees, parolees, and other aliens in the United States.”