Biden To Spend $352 Per Night On Hotel Beds For 80,000 Migrant Families, Gives Contract To Org Tied To Transition Staffer
Joe Biden’s administration is spending a stunning $352 a night to provide beds for close to 80,000 migrant families that are expected to cross the border from now until September. The contract rents out hotels in Texas and Arizona for six and a half months and is part of an $87 million contract ICE awarded to Family Endeavors, a San Antonio, Texas non-profit.
That nonprofit hired a former senior official on the Biden transition team on the very day Joe was inaugurated. They also received another contract worth close to $530 million. Both contracts were no-bid.
“In terms of solving the problem, it’s like roasting marshmallows at the scene of the fire,” James Carafano, a national security scholar at The Heritage Foundation said. “All that money will do nothing to bring the border under control. You’re burning through an enormous amount of cash, which facilitates more illegal immigration. The potential risk of COVID adds to costs. The cartels are profiting off this to buy fentanyl.”
From The Federalist: While the hotels carry a price tag of $352 a night for the Biden administration — and thus the American taxpayer — two of the hotels being used in El Paso, Texas can be booked at this present time for a price ranging from $91 to $179.
An ICE spokeswoman told the Examiner the $87 million includes “transportation of the families from the Border Patrol stations that they are initially held at after being apprehended on the border to the hotels, as well as any emergency transportation from the hotel to medical facilities like hospitals and rides to airports or bus stations for families to travel to their final destinations nationwide.” Illegals will have all meals covered, in addition to complementary medical treatment, “recreational activities,” and laundry.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Federalist.
On January 20, 2021, Family Endeavors, a Texas non-profit, hired Andrew Lorenzen-Straita, a senior official on the Biden transition team. They issued this press release to announce their move:
Endeavors is pleased to announce the official appointment of Andrew Lorenzen-Strait as the Senior Director for Migrant Services & Federal Affairs at Endeavors. He will assume responsibilities for the position beginning January 25, 2021.
Andrew will lead a nation-wide team of dedicated professionals providing critical social services to migrants, including unaccompanied children, single adults and families. Mr. Lorenzen-Strait will also lead Endeavors’ government affairs effort in the national capital region, advancing our mission and core values through Federal government program development and procurement opportunities in the nation’s capital.
“We are fortunate to gain a leader with Andrew’s expertise and vision,” said Jon Allman, Endeavors President and CEO. “As we continue to grow as an organization, we are confident Andrew will support us in building better partnerships, transforming the communities we serve, and ensure our new programs and services are a first-class experience for the people using them.”
Mr. Lorenzen-Strait has over 15 years of experience and is a recognized expert in migrant protection and advocacy. Before Endeavors, Mr. Lorenzen-Strait served as the Director of Children and Family Services at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). At LIRS, he oversaw a national network of faith-based and nonprofit partners that provide foster care and case management services to unaccompanied immigrant children. Before his work in civil society, Lorenzen-Strait started his Federal service as a Presidential Management Fellow for the U.S. Department of Justice and later served as the country’s first national migrant Public Advocate within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Throughout his career, Andrew has served diverse populations and is passionate and committed to the values, principles, and goals that align with Endeavors. We have plans to expand the way Endeavors supports migrants. With Andrew on our team, I know we will be able to provide so many with the support they desperately need,” said Chip Fulghum, Chief Operating Officer at Endeavors.
At ICE, Lorenzen-Strait, as the ICE Deputy Assistant Director for Custody Management, led humanitarian programming in LGBTQ care, language access, religious services, legal access, mental health, disability accommodation, segregation oversight, parental rights, and trauma-informed care.
During his tenure at DHS and ICE, Lorenzen-Strait launched a new alternative to detention programs for individuals seeking asylum in the U.S. The Family Case Management Program (FCMP) tested whether providing access to holistic community-based services for eligible families released from DHS custody could mitigate flight risk and promote compliance with legal immigration obligations. Political leaders and immigration policy experts have regularly referenced the success of the FCMP as a way-forward for immigration enforcement.
“I have had a remarkable and fortunate professional journey – from my time advancing the rights and needs of migrants in the care and custody of the U.S. government to helping aid unaccompanied refugee children in civil society, I am now privileged to lead Endeavor’s newest line of service.
I am excited to deploy my tenacity, grit, and determination to take on new and challenging initiatives and produce high-quality results for these vulnerable populations,” said Lorenzen-Strait.