Gaetz introduces legislation that would no longer tax-exempt NGOs/nonprofits that are assisting border invasion
By bellecarter // 2024-11-05
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) recently proposed legislation that would take away the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax-exempt status from nonprofit and non-government organizations (NGOs) that assist illegal border crossers. The bill is called Helping Americans by Restricting Resources to Immigrant Services Act (HARRIS Act) and it specifically categorizes any organization "substantially" providing or paying for goods and services for illegal immigrants as having aided the criminal act of illegally crossing into the United States borders. Section 2 of the proposal indicates that the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is to be amended by inserting "no substantial part of the activities of which is providing goods or services to individuals other than citizens of the United States and aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act)." In an interview with the Daily Caller, Gaetz confirmed that "NGOs and nonprofits that enable the Biden-Harris administration's mass-migration policies – by focusing primarily on assisting those who have broken federal immigration law – should not be receiving tax breaks." The Florida congressman clarified that his HARRIS Act would strip tax-exempt status from organizations aiding and abetting the U.S. border invasion. "If nonprofits want special treatment under our tax code, they should focus on doing genuine charity for genuine Americans, not illegal aliens," Gaetz said regarding his bill. The HARRIS Act is co-sponsored by Reps. Randy Weber (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ). Earlier this month, Gaetz also introduced the Blocking Assistance and Resources to Restrict Illegal Entry and Residency (BARRIER) Act. The bill aims to cut federal funding to NGOs, non-profits and other entities that help migrants illegally enter or reside in the United States. The two pieces of legislation would sever the public-private partnership that has supported the illegal crossing of our southern border by millions of people, Gaetz's official website indicated. Meanwhile, the National Pulse reported in September that President Joe Biden's administration has poured nearly $400 million taxpayer dollars into so-called migrant aid groups, which actually serve to further incentivize and promote illegal immigration into the country. The funding for these groups is often funneled through channels like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Shelter and Services Program (SSP). (Related: White House claims FEMA is NOT funding resettlement of illegal aliens, but agency website says otherwise.)

DHS grants millions to NGOs that facilitate alien invasion

Back in April, DHS awarded $300 million to NGOs and state and local governments supporting illegal immigration through the SSP. DHS also announced another $340.9 million would be available for grants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The DHS-funded program, administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was established to provide shelter, food, medical care and transportation to illegal aliens after having been processed by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In short, SSP enables the mass processing and release of illegal aliens into the country at the expense of American taxpayers, endangering the safety and security of the citizens. Of those recently awarded grants, 35 are NGOs and 20 are state and local governments. Total SSP awards to NGOs amount to $99 million, while state and local governments will receive $175.9 million. The largest awards to governments include $38.8 million for New York City and $21.8 million for Pima County, Arizona. The program has faced major scrutiny, including a 2023 DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) report finding that funds for its predecessor program were mismanaged on multiple occasions and grantees violated the terms of the awards. But this fiscal year, DHS adopted guidelines allowing grant recipients to transfer or redistribute funds from uses specified in their original application and allow for revising their budgets at any time during the grant period.  These changes made it easier for NGOs and local government units to continuously receive the funds and at the same time, made it more difficult to track how the money is actually being used. Earlier this year, a group of House Democrats called for increased funding of the program, asking for $3 billion to fund it and citing a "resounding need from cities and towns across the country for increased federal support to provide migrants with short-term humanitarian services." Meanwhile, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said that absent H.R. 2 being enacted into law, taxpayers "will continue to bail out NGOs and sanctuary jurisdictions that enable illegal immigration." In its FY25 proposed budget, the Biden administration requested $4.7 billion for a Southwest Border Contingency Fund to replace the SSP Program, while continuing to offer similar services to illegal aliens. Head over to InvasionUSA.news to read more stories related to the efforts of the Biden administration to invite more illegal migrants to cross America's borders.

Sources for this article include:

TheNationalPulse.com Gaetz.House.gov 1 Gaetz.House.gov 2 FAIRUS.org
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