Concerned Mayorkas Ordered Evaluation of $500 Million Immigrant Housing Contract after Ethics Issue Reports
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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was reportedly skeptical of an extremely large no-bid government housing contract for immigrants and ordered an evaluation into its distributions in 2021.
After a nudge from DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Marsha Espinosa on April 14, 2021, who mentioned the legal objections to the $500 million agreement to house immigrant children at the border, Mayorkas sounded the alarm, according to emails obtained by the Washington Examiner. Espinosa’s email was sent to five other DHS staffers.
“We need to inquire of Contracting/Management to determine whether principles and rules were followed scrupulously,” Mayorkas almost immediately wrote back.
In January 2021, in response to the massive inflow of illegal aliens pouring over the border, the Biden administration made two deals valued at over $600 million with nonprofit Family Endeavors Inc. that allowed no competing bids. Endeavors was contracted to help immigrant children with housing placement and post-release services, the Examiner noted.
In March, the American Accountability Foundation sued DHS, alleging that it failed to comply with several Freedom of Information Act requests over the Endeavor’s no-bid contract to house illegal immigrants. The email correspondence between Mayorkas and Espinosa was acquired through the lawsuit.
“The email from the Secretary underscores that even he knew this contract was highly suspect and likely subject to inappropriate influence,” Jones told the Examiner. “Further, it seems to underscore his ignorance of this important contract and that he was concerned that people within his agency were awarding multi-tens of million dollar contracts without the top leadership of the agency signing off.”
Since the border crisis has devolved into an outright catastrophe, with current apprehensions running at about 7,000 a day, Mayorkas has faced growing pressure from GOP lawmakers to resign.
In November, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who just narrowly clinched the speakership, threatened Mayorkas with impeachment and congressional scrutiny over his alleged inaction and failures on border enforcement once the Republican majority assumed power in the chamber.
Last week on ABC News, Mayorkas said he has no plans to step down amid the outcry, affirming, “I’ve got a lot of work to do, and we’re going to do it.”
