Budget Bill Forces Dems to Choose Between Election-Meddling, Globalist Warmongering

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Budget Bill Forces Dems to Choose Between Election-Meddling, Globalist Warmongering

(Headline USA) Senate Democrats led by majority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., face a difficult dilemma as the current stopgap resolution expires and the deadline once again approaches for a new bill to fund the government.

On one hand they could allow commonsense election integrity measures of the SAVE Act—which many on the Left acknowledge is already codified in U.S. law and, at worst, redundant to existing laws—to clear Congress and head to President Joe Biden’s desk for a signature.

Alternatively, they could face a government shutdown ahead of the upcoming U.S. election and risk incurring the wrath of taxpaying citizens in order to retain the ability to let illegal immigrants and other ineligible voters continue to engage in election meddling and vote fraud.

Amid widespread resistance from Democrats over the idea of taking up an election-integrity bill, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has tethered the vote this week on a bill that would keep the federal government funded for six more months to one sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, that requires states to obtain proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering a person to vote.

Congress needs to approve a stop-gap spending bill before the end of the budget year on Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown just a few weeks before voters go to the polls and elect the next president.

On top of other concerns for the current Biden–Harris administration, a shutdown could potentially could force the Pentagon to cut off its endless supply of weapons and hundred of billions of dollars in funding to Ukraine, as well as limit dubious projects like Gaza’s $320 million “dock to nowhere” that the military ultimately abandoned in July.

Indeed, the Pentagon is warning that the previous levels allocated for its wasteful warmongering initiatives won’t come close to funding what it has planned for the coming year.

Passage of a six-month temporary spending bill would have widespread and devastating effects on the Defense Department, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said in a letter to key members of Congress on Sunday.

Austin said that passing a continuing resolution that caps spending at 2024 levels, rather than taking action on the proposed 2025 budget will hurt thousands of defense programs, and damage military recruiting just as it is beginning to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Asking the department to compete with [China], let alone manage conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, while under a lengthy CR, ties our hands behind our back while expecting us to be agile and to accelerate progress,” he wrote in the letter to leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees.

Austin said the stop-gap measure would cut defense spending by more than $6 billion compared to the 2025 spending proposal. And it would take money from key new priorities while overfunding programs that no longer need it.

Under a continuing resolution, new projects or programs can’t be started. Austin said that passing the temporary bill would stall more than $4.3 billion in research and development projects and delay 135 new military housing and construction projects totaling nearly $10 billion.

It also would slow progress on a number of key nuclear, ship-building, high-tech drone and other weapons programs. Many of those projects are in an array of congressional districts, and could also have an impact on local residents and jobs.

Since the bill would not fund legally required pay raises for troops and civilians, the department would have to find other cuts to offset them. Those cuts could halt enlistment bonuses, delay training for National Guard and Reserve forces, limit flying hours and other training for active-duty troops and impede the replacement of weapons and other equipment that has been pulled from Pentagon stocks and sent to Ukraine.

Going forward with the continuing resolution, said Austin, will “subject service members and their families to unnecessary stress, empower our adversaries, misalign billions of dollars, damage our readiness, and impede our ability to react to emergent events.”

Noting that there have been 48 continuing resolutions during 14 of the last 15 fiscal years—for a total of nearly 1,800 days—Austin said Congress must break the pattern of inaction because the U.S. military can’t compete with China “with our hands tied behind our back every fiscal year.”

Johnson’s bill is not expected to get support in the Democratic-controlled Senate, if it even makes it that far. But Congress will have to pass some type of temporary measure by Sept. 30 in order to avoid a shutdown.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Police Vow Relentless Search as Manhunt for Ky. Interstate Shooter Enters 3rd Day

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Police Vow Relentless Search as Manhunt for Ky. Interstate Shooter Enters 3rd Day

(Headline USA) As a grueling manhunt stretched into a third day Monday for a suspect in an interstate shooting that struck 12 vehicles and wounded five people, authorities vowed to keep up a relentless search as the stress level remained high for a rural area where some schools canceled classes.

Authorities have been searching a rugged, hilly area of southeastern Kentucky since Saturday evening, when a gunman began shooting at drivers on Interstate 75 near London, a small city of about 8,000 people located about 75 miles south of Lexington.

The search was temporarily suspended once darkness fell Sunday night, but was set to resume Monday morning.

“We’re not going to quit until we do lay hands on him,” Laurel County Sheriff John Root said Sunday night.

Joseph A. Couch, 32, was named first as a person of interest and later as a suspect in the shooting after authorities said they recovered his SUV on a service road near the crime scene. They later found a semi-automatic weapon nearby that they believe was used in the shooting, said Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the local sheriff’s office.

On Sunday, as another day of searching was ending without any sign of the suspect, Acciardo acknowledged the frustration that law enforcement officers and people who live near the search area are feeling.

“As this continues, it becomes more stressful for the community, it becomes more stressful for the officers that are there because we’re looking … and we’re trying to find him, and we haven’t found him,” he said.

State police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington, a spokesman for the London state police post, said troopers are being brought in from around the state to aid the manhunt. He described the extensive search area as “walking in a jungle” with machetes needed to cut through thickets of woods.

Acciardo said it appears that the attacker planned the shooting for that location because it is very remote and the terrain is hilly, rocky and hard to navigate.

With the gunman still at large, numerous area school districts canceled classes for Monday. Pennington urged area residents to lock doors, keep porch lights on and monitor security cameras. The search was focused on a remote area about eight miles north of London.

Authorities sought to reassure residents that they believe the suspect will be found.

“We’re doing everything that we can do,” Root said, adding, ”Just be confident.”

Authorities said Couch purchased the weapon and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition Saturday morning in London. Couch has military training, having served in the National Guard for at least four years, said Capt. Richard Dalrymple of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. However, it is not clear that he ever saw any actual combat during his service.

Authorities initially said nine vehicles were struck by gunfire, but later increased that number to 12, saying some people did not realize their cars had been hit by bullets until they arrived home. They said the gunman fired a total of 20 to 30 rounds.

Couch most recently lived in Woodbine, a small community about 20 miles south of the shooting scene. Acciardo said authorities found his abandoned vehicle Saturday and then a rifle on Sunday in a wooded area near a highway where “he could have shot down upon the interstate.”

A phone believed to be Couch’s was also found by law enforcement, but the battery had been taken out.

Some residents of Laurel County were on edge as authorities searched with a drone, helicopter and on foot in a remote and sparsely populated wooded area near the busy interstate.

Cody Shepherd, sipping a bloody Mary outdoors while waiting to watch a football game at the Pour Boyz Sports Lounge in London on Sunday, said locals were abuzz with speculation. A resident of London, he was at a party Saturday at a friend’s house about 10 miles south of where the shooting occurred.

“We were listening to the police scanners all night,” he said, adding they heard sirens and saw a helicopter overhead.

On Sunday, several local churches canceled services. But Rodney Goodlett, pastor of Faith Assembly of God in London, was helping direct traffic as parishioners gathered for a morning service. He expected the search would hold down attendance.

“This is tragic, obviously, that somebody would randomly do violent acts,” he said. “You hear media things taking place all around our country, but then when it hits home, it’s a little bit of a wake-up call.”

Acciardo said authorities are being inundated with tips from the public and are following up on each one in case it could help them find the shooter. When the search has been suspended at night, specially trained officers have been deployed in strategic locations in the woods to prevent the gunman from slipping out of the area.

“We’ve got to get him,” Acciardo said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Matt Gaetz Makes Announcement on Replacing Ron DeSantis

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Matt Gaetz Makes Announcement on Replacing Ron DeSantis

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., long rumored to be a potential candidate for Florida governor in 2026, confirmed on Sunday that his focus is elsewhere. 

“I have no plans to run for Florida Governor,” Gaetz commented Saturday on X. “I believe God has me exactly where I’m supposed to be at the moment, working for FL-01.” 

His announcement came after a Ragnar Research Group poll showed him leading a hypothetical governor’s race with 12 percent support.  

Incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis is term-limited, and other potential candidates including Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., each at 10 percent, Democratic State Sen. Shev Jones at 9 percent and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., at 5 percent. 

Gaetz expressed his gratitude for the support in his X post: “That said, it is incredibly heartwarming and humbling that so many polls show Floridians trust me atop the other choices for the job.”

He added, “Many terrific Republicans will likely run for Governor in the Sunshine State – but it ONLY matters if we elect TRUMP in 2024. Time to focus.”

Gaetz’s decision came after a Republican lobbyist indicated in September 2023 that Gaetz was expected to enter the gubernatorial race. 

“There was a lot of talk about it at the reception last night, and Gaetz was telling people to basically expect him to be in,” the lobbyist told NBC News. 

Gaetz acknowledged that while many had encouraged him to consider running, his focus remains on supporting President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. 

“Many did encourage me to consider running for governor one day. But we have an outstanding governor who will be in that position through 2026,” he said at the time. “Similarly to this Sunday remarks, Gaetz said he was focusing on helping President Donald Trump win the White House in 2024.” 

Sanders Admits Pal Kamala Hiding Leftist Policies ‘to Win’ 2024

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Sanders Admits Pal Kamala Hiding Leftist Policies ‘to Win’ 2024

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-declared socialist, hinted that Vice President Kamala Harris is only renouncing her far-left policies to secure a win in the 2024 election. 

In a Sunday interview on NBC News’s Meet the Press, Sanders, I-Vt., responded to questions about Harris “abandoning her progressive ideals” as she runs for president. 

“No, I don’t think she is abandoning her ideals. I think she is trying to be pragmatic and do what she thinks is right in order to win the election,” Sanders told NBC News anchor Kristen Welker. 

He added, “My own view is slightly different. I think that in America today there are a lot of people, rural people, working-class people who no longer believe that the United States Congress and government represent their interest, who are dominated by big-money interests.”

Welker pressed Sanders further, asking if he still considers Harris to be progressive. 

“I do. Look, she and I – she is not where I am,” Sanders responded, acknowledging both the similarities and differences between his policies and those of Harris. 

Sanders’s comments came amid growing criticism of Harris for conveniently reversing her stance on radical leftist policies ahead of the November election.  

Critics argue that Harris is (unsuccessfully) positioning herself as a moderate to win the votes of independents and some Republicans. They suggest that Harris would revert to her more radical agenda once in office.

As reported by Axios, Harris’s campaign handlers — speaking anonymously to several outlets — have claimed that the vice president no longer backs a ban on fracking, a mandatory federal buyback program for assault weapons, the decriminalization of border crossings and a federal jobs guarantee.

She also no longer supports a federal ban on plastic straws and Medicare-for-All. But she backs the construction of a border wall with Mexico. 

The specifics of Harris’s current policy positions remain unclear, as her campaign website is empty and she has avoided questions from the already-leftist-friendly media. 

HOA Bullies Trump Supporter Over MAGA Banners — He Fights Back and Wins

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HOA Bullies Trump Supporter Over MAGA Banners — He Fights Back and Wins

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A local homeowners association (HOA) in Lodi, California, attempted to bully a resident into removing his pro-Trump banners, but the homeowner refused to back down—and won. 

Paul Wood Bonilla, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, was dubiously told by his HOA to remove three MAGA banners from his front porch.  

Bonilla refused, standing his ground and citing his political views and a state law protecting his right to display non-commercial signs. 

“The guy took a bullet for me. I’m going to support him,” Bonilla said of Trump during an interview with CBS News Sacramento. 

The HOA’s demand cited a vague contract clause prohibiting commercial signs, such as advertising or billboards. According to the HOA’s letter, Bonilla’s signs exceeded the approved size. 

“The current sign(s) displayed on your lawn is larger than what is approved by the Association. The sign must be removed immediately,” the letter read, referring to to the banners that displayed “Trump 2024” and “Trump Keep America Great 2024.” 

However, there was a major issue with the HOA’s demands. California law permits HOAs to prohibit non-commercial signs and posters larger than nine square feet. Non-commercial flags or banners can be banned only if they exceed 15 square feet. 

Bonilla’s banners fell within the legal size limits, leaving the HOA scrambling for an explanation when confronted with how state law contradicted their letter.  

He asserted that the HOA targeted him because of the banners’ political message, telling CBS, “I knew the minute I said I supported Trump that they were going to give me a hard time.” 

Compromising, Bonilla agreed to remove two of the three banners, leaving only the “Trump Keep America Great 2024” banner displayed.

Bonilla has lived in the home for over 30 years. In 2018, he garnered attention when a suspected brain tumor miraculously disappeared just before a scheduled surgery.  

“My phone is blowing up, my Facebook is prayer after prayer, all over California. It’s a miracle and that is the way God planned it,” Bonilla told CBS Sacramento at the time. 

Illegal Alien Fools U.S. into Issuing Fraudulent Passport, Uses It to Vote

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Illegal Alien Fools U.S. into Issuing Fraudulent Passport, Uses It to Vote

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) An illegal immigrant inexplicably fooled the federal government into issuing her a U.S. passport, using it to travel freely and even cast votes in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. 

According to a federal indictment, Angelica Maria Francisco assumed the identity of an American citizen around 2011, the same year she fraudulently obtained her U.S. passport. 

Francisco, a 42-year-old Guatemalan national, used the fake passport to register to vote in Alabama, participating in the 2016 and 2020 primary and general elections, according to prosecutors. 

Likely inspired by her success, Francisco later applied for and received a renewed passport, prosecutors allege. She reportedly used it to visit Guatemala multiple times, including in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2022. 

It’s unclear how Francisco managed to trick federal authorities into issuing the fraudulent passport given the complexity of the process. She faces a nine-count federal indictment in Alabama and is expected to plead guilty. 

Francisco’s alleged illegal voting in two of the most pivotal presidential elections in modern history has reignited calls for tougher voter security measures. This case directly undermines dubious claims from the left and the media that voter fraud is rare

“Election fraud is a crime,” America First Legal founder Stephen Miller commented on X. “Trump warns that those who commit criminal election fraud in 2024 — eg illegal alien voting, signature forgery, ballot stuffing — will face federal criminal prosecution in 2025. The Left and leftwing corporate press lose their minds. Please explain.” 

Responding to Francisco’s indictment, journalist Kyle Becker remarked sarcastically, “Don’t worry, Americans. This has to be a one-off. There surely isn’t election fraud being committed by the more than 15 million illegal aliens in the United States or by those acting in their name.” 

Church Appeals Ruling Over Anti-Discrimination Law

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Church Appeals Ruling Over Anti-Discrimination Law

(Christian Wade, The Center Square) A Christian school is challenging a Maine law requiring religious schools that receive money from a taxpayer-funded tuition program to abide by the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

A federal lawsuit, filed in 2023 by the First Liberty Institute on behalf of Crosspoint Church, argues that changes to the state’s school choice program by the Legislature, in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Carson V. Macon, are unconstitutional and discriminatory. In February, a U.S. District Court judge denied the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction, but they appealed.

In a filing this week to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, lawyers for the plaintiffs argue that the changes are discriminatory and point out that “until recently,” Maine exempted religious schools from certain nondiscrimination provisions “to accommodate their religious beliefs.”

“Without the exemption, religious schools are subject to administrative investigations, complaints, and financial penalties of thousands of dollars if they offer instruction or make hiring decisions consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs,” they wrote in the appeal. “This ‘poison pill’ is designed to deter religious schools from participating and thus perpetuates the religious discrimination at the heart of the state’s prior sectarian exclusion.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Carson V. Macon stemmed from a lawsuit filed by several families seeking tuition for their students to attend Bangor Christian School, operated by Crosspoint Church, but was blocked by changes to the law that excluded the school from the tuition program.

Advocates praised the landmark ruling as a major victory for school choice programs. It paved the way for more states to divert more public dollars to private religious schools. It was the latest in a series of cases in which the high court sided with religious institutions challenging state policies that barred them from receiving education-related funds that were available for secular but not religious schools.

Shortly after the Carson V. Macon ruling, Maine’s Democratic-controlled Legislature updated the tuition program rules to require recipients of school choice funding to follow the state’s Human Rights Act, which requires religious schools to accept and hire LGBT students and employees.

Violations of the state’s Human Rights Act carry penalties of up to $20,000 for a first offense, $50,000 for a second violation and $100,000 for subsequent violations. That includes schools that receive public money and unlawfully discriminate against students and employees.

Crosspoint sued to block the changes from being enforced, but U.S. District Judge John Woodcock Jr. denied the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction, saying they were “unlikely to succeed on the merits” of the legal challenge. In his ruling, Woodcock noted that the state had denied Crosspoint and other plaintiffs “the fruit of their victory” by changing the law following the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Depending on how the appeals court rules, the case could end up back before the Supreme Court. In a statement, the institute argues that the lower court’s ruling recognized that the lawsuit “raises important legal questions” and said the court’s decision “is a prelude to bringing the legal challenge to a higher court.”

“Families should be free to choose the educational option that works best for them without the State’s unconstitutional interference,” Camille Varone, First Liberty Institute’s associate counsel, said in a statement. “Maine excluded religious schools from its school choice program for over 40 years, but the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear that such religious discrimination must end.”

House Republicans Seek to Require Voter ID to Fund Government

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House Republicans Seek to Require Voter ID to Fund Government

(Headline USA) House Speaker Mike Johnson has teed up a vote this week on a bill that would keep the federal government funded for six more months and require states to obtain proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering a person to vote.

Congress needs to approve a stop-gap spending bill before the end of the budget year on Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown just a few weeks before voters go the polls and elect the next president.

Johnson’s decision to combine the proof of citizenship mandate with government funding ensures that a funded government is one elected by the American people.

The bill is not expected to go anywhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Johnson spoke on the bill on Friday.

“Today, House Republicans are taking a critically important step to keep the federal government funded and to secure our federal election process,” Johnson said Friday. “Congress has a responsibility to do both, and we must ensure that only American citizens can decide American elections.”

Democrats, predictably, dislike the bill.

“As we have said repeatedly, avoiding a government shutdown requires bipartisanship, not a bill drawn up by one party. Speaker Johnson is making the same mistake as former Speaker McCarthy did a year ago, by wasting precious time catering to the hard MAGA right, Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Patty Murray of Washington state said in a statement, referring to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. “This tactic didn’t work last September and it will not work this year either.”

The voter registration measure is popular with House Republicans. The House Freedom Caucus, which generally includes the chamber’s most conservative members, called for it to be attached to a stop-gap bill that would keep the government funded into early 2025.

Republicans say that requiring proof of citizenship would ensure U.S. elections are only for American citizens, improving confidence in the nation’s federal election system.

Republicans are arguing that if Schumer will allow a vote, assuming the bill passes the House, then a government shutdown would be on him.

“If Chuck Schumer decides he doesn’t want to bring it, then Chuck Schumer will be deciding that he wants to shut down government. It’s not us,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., during an interview on Fox Business News.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Lawsuit: Tex. County Using Taxpayer Money on Partisan Identifying Unregistered Voters

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Lawsuit: Tex. County Using Taxpayer Money on Partisan Identifying Unregistered Voters

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued another county for allegedly violating state election law, this time, the Travis County Commissioners Court.

The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Travis County and names the Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar, county judge and commissioners as defendants.

On August 27, the commissioners court held a public meeting and approved the hiring of Civic Government Solutions to implement “unregistered voter outreach services.”

The contract tasks CGS with identifying “any current Travis County resident that is at least 18 years of age, a US citizen and not already registered to vote.” It also requires CGS to provide the county with a list of “the resultant, Eligible Resident-Citizens and their current residence address and mailing address.”

CGS was the sole bidder for the contract and is charging the county $3,562.80 per 10,000 names of eligible resident citizens as part of its “unregistered voter outreach services,” according to county records.

CGS claims on its website to have the “most comprehensive database of unregistered voters.” It also claims to have a “broad range of expertise, including data scientists, voting law experts, and mail logistics experience” that enables it to “deliver the market’s most reliable and effective voter registration solutions.”

The company is run by Jeremy Smith, who also runs Civitech, according to Texas Comptroller data. Civitech has been described as “a progressive data startup” that worked with 40 organizations to recruit and train more than 2,700 “new progressive candidates to run for office” and registered more than 50,000 new voters in 2021, Axios reported.

According to the ethics disclosure form filed with the county, CGS has made no political contributions and engaged in no lobbying activities although Smith has been characterized as a Democratic operative.

Using taxpayer money to hire an alleged partisan vendor to conduct voter registration and compilation services violates state election law and exceeds the county’s statutory authority, Paxton argues.

Travis County is not authorized by Texas law to do this, the lawsuit argues. It asks the court to issue an emergency injunction to stop county officials from “giving a partisan organization thousands of taxpayer dollars to identify the names and addresses of potentially unregistered voters without statutory authority.” It argues county officials’ actions “will create confusion, facilitate fraud, undermine confidence in elections, and are illegal ultra vires acts because they exceed statutory authority.”

“Travis County has blatantly violated Texas law by paying partisan actors to conduct unlawful identification efforts to track down people who are not registered to vote,” Paxton said. “Programs like this invite fraud and reduce public trust in our elections. We will stop them and any other county considering such programs.”

Paxton sued Travis County officials after suing Bexar County officials for approving a plan to spend nearly $400,000 to hire a company with alleged ties to the Democratic Party to print and distribute voter registration forms to unregistered county residents. Prior to suing, Paxton issued a warning to cancel the plan and said if they didn’t, he would sue.

The lawsuit was also filed after Paxton, the Secretary of State and Gov. Greg Abbott all issued advisories to voters and county officials about not violating election law, including registering noncitizens to vote or noncitizens voting.

Texas also recently removed more than 1.1 million people from the voter rolls, including 6,500 noncitizens, 6,000 with felony convictions, and more than 457,000 deceased.

IG: ICE Incapable of Monitoring Unaccompanied Minors Released into US

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IG: ICE Incapable of Monitoring Unaccompanied Minors Released into US

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) – The Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a management alert to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make it aware of an urgent issue: ICE is incapable of monitoring hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children (UACs) released into the country by the Biden–Harris administration.

“We found ICE cannot always monitor the location and status of unaccompanied migrant children who are released from DHS and HHS custody,” HHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari said in a memo to the deputy director of ICE.

“Without an ability to monitor the location and status of UCs, ICE has no assurance UCs are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor,” the alert states.

In response, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, requested additional information from HHS about UAC oversight, saying, “lax vetting has placed migrant children in grave danger of exploitation and abuse and makes locating these children after placement difficult, something I fear hinders the work of DHS as well.”

The DHS OIG report found that not only was ICE incapable of monitoring the location and status of all UACs but it was also incapable of initiating removal proceedings as needed.

ICE transferred more than 448,000 UACs to the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for their care, from fiscal years 2019 to 2023. Over the same time period, ICE neglected to issue notices to appear (NTAs) before an immigration judge for 65% of UACs transferred from DHS custody, according to the OIG report, leaving them in limbo.

Of the 448,000 UACs who illegally entered the country and were placed with sponsors through ORR, the majority arrived under the Biden-Harris administration: roughly 366,000, or 81%, between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, Grassley notes.

The report also found that ICE agents didn’t issue NTAs for immigration court hearings to all UACs who were flagged to be removed from the country, despite being required by federal law to do so, the OIG report found.

ICE failed to issue NTAs to at least more than 291,000 UACs who should have been placed in removal proceedings but weren’t, as of May 2024, according to the report.

“ICE was not able to account for the location of all UCs who were released by HHS and did not appear as scheduled in immigration court,” the report states.

At least 32,000 UACs who were given NTAs didn’t show up to their immigration court hearing and ICE doesn’t know where they are. Additionally, ICE didn’t always inform ORR when UACs didn’t show up, contributing to multiple agencies not being able to account for their whereabouts, the report found.

To make matter worse, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers weren’t looking for them, according to the report.

Officers from only one of eight ICE ERO field offices that OIG staff visited said they attempted to locate missing UACs.

Federal agencies not scheduling immigration court dates appears to be a consistent problem, according to several audit reports.

From January 2021 to February 2024, one audit found that 200,000 asylum or other immigration cases were dismissed because DHS didn’t file paperwork with the courts in time for scheduled hearings, The Center Square reported.

Prior to that, 50,000 illegal foreign nationals released into the U.S. by ICE failed to report to their deportation proceedings during a five-month period analyzed in 2021, The Center Square reported. ICE also didn’t have court information on more than 40,000 individuals it’s supposed to prosecute, according to the report, and more than 270,000 illegal foreign nationals were released into the U.S. “with little chance for removal” during that time period, the report found.

Not knowing the whereabouts of the UACs “occurred, in part, because ICE does not have an automated process for sharing information internally between the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) and ERO, and externally with stakeholders, such as HHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ), regarding UCs who do not appear in immigration court,” the OIG report found.

ICE-ERO also hasn’t developed a formal policy or process to find UACs who don’t show up to their court dates, has limited oversight for monitoring them, and faces resource limitations, the OIG says. Nevertheless, “ICE must take immediate action to ensure the safety” of UACs and provide it with the corrective action it will take.

UACs who miss their court dates “are considered at higher risk for trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor,” the OIG says.

Earlier this year, Grassley led a group of 44 senators to introduce a resolution to reform ORR oversight after multiple allegations of sexual abuse of UACs were reported and more than 100,000 UACs appear to be missing, The Center Square reported.

Texas, California and Florida have received the most UACs of all states, The Center Square first reported, with each state receiving record numbers in fiscal 2023. For some states, fiscal 2023 numbers represent 20% or more of the total they received since 2015 or dwarfed previous years.

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