While Congress Abandons Border, $3.5 Billion Slipped Into Israel Bill For 'Migrants And Refugees'
While Congress failed to pass a border security bill over the weekend amid a flurry of billions in international aid to Ukraine and Israel, they did set aside $3.5 billion for "Migration and Refugee Assistance" for the State Department to "address humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations and communities."
While written in an absurdly broad brushstroke that's going to be open to interpretation, X user 'Oilfield Rando' suggests that the funds will be used "to pay the NGOs coordinating the illegal invasion at our southern border, and providing all the freebies once they're in."
Oh, look at this excerpt from the Israel aid bill.
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) April 21, 2024
$3.5 billion for Department of State migration and refugee assistance.
This is what the State Department uses to pay the NGOs coordinating the illegal invasion at our southern border, and providing all the freebies once… pic.twitter.com/t8U1P0Mdok
According to the legislation, the funds can be used if Congress designates it as an "emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985."
And according to that, if Congress designates the funds as necessary for "Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism," and the President "subsequently so designates," the funds are activated for use.
Of course, nowhere in the bill does it say which migrants, from where, or how the funds can be used to 'assist' them. Given that it's part of the Israel package, one might assume it's referring to refugees from Gaza - however that isn't articulated in the text, so we can only assume the funds can apply to whatever the State Departments wants, assuming Congress and the President activate them.
So, while there's a nebulous set of words governing the $3.5 billion, and which has the appearance of 'checks and balances,' Congress has provided a virtual slush fund for yet another category of people who aren't Americans, and has failed to pass legislation that would protect the country from the economic & national security risks posed by unchecked illegal migration.
Of course!