‘Abolish ICE’ Group Could Reap Millions From Congress’ Massive Spending Bill

The massive congressional spending bill proposed in the Senate Tuesday would hand a group that has called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) millions of dollars in funding.

If the bill is passed, the federal government would allocate $20 million for the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP), which is run by an organization that is openly against ICE, according to the bill. The Church World Service, a faith-based nonprofit organization that was tapped to head the program, has a history of backing calls to abolish ICE and defund the agency, Fox News reported in October.

The organization in 2021 tweeted the hashtag “AbolishICE.”

The fiscal year 2022 spending package that was previously signed into law by President Joe Biden appropriated $15 million for the program.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began the CMPP to manage the high volume of illegal immigrants released into the country. The nongovernmental organizations leading the program are expected to “provide voluntary case management and other services” to illegal immigrants awaiting court proceedings.

“CMPP funds will be awarded to nonprofit organizations and local governments through the National Board, similar to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program,” DHS states of the program. “CMPP services will include, among others: mental health services; human and sex trafficking screening; legal orientation programs; cultural orientation programs; connections to social services; and departure planning and reintegration services for individuals returning to their home countries.”

The program has been ineffective in holding illegal immigrants accountable and deterring illegal immigration, former ICE Chief of Staff Jon Feere, who is now director of investigations at the Center for Immigration Studies, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“This $20 million that Mayorkas would be allowed to hand out to anti-ICE activist groups is on top of millions previously thrown at this controversial pilot. There’s no evidence it’s benefitted the DHS mission. How many illegal aliens have been deported as a result? Has it improved border security and discouraged illegal immigration?” Feere said.

Federal border authorities have recorded massive surges of illegal immigration at the southern border in recent years. Despite that, the Biden administration has deported and arrested low numbers of illegal immigrants already in the country.

“This is nothing more than an NGO handout and the GOP doesn’t seem to understand that the Biden administration is attempting to duplicate the bloated refugee resettlement industry – this time, for illegal aliens. All sorts of anti-border groups have profited off refugee resettlement, and now many more will profit off illegal immigration if this isn’t stopped,” Feere added.

Neither the Church World Service nor DHS responded to requests for comment.

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