June 12, 2020

Audit: Instead of migrant care, Border Patrol spent millions on equipment

The audit found some money meant for migrant care was spent on things like ATVs and speaker systems.

border patrol asylum facility 2019 VIEW LARGER The Border Patrol erected this facility for asylum seekers last summer. Congress allocated $708 million for facilities like these and $112 million for "consumables" that was supposed to be spent caring for migrants.
Michel Marizco/KJZZ

Customs and Border Protection used money intended for food and medicine for immigrants in custody on ATVs, dirt bikes and speaker systems, a new audit has found.

CBP received $112 million in emergency funds that was meant to be used on migrants during last year’s surge of asylum seekers at the border.

It was money provided by Congress to ensure migrants in custody were being given adequate care, especially after several people died in custody. The money was supposed to go, for example, toward medicine, food and hygiene supplies.

The Government Accountability Office found portions of the money was instead spent on speakers, surveillance systems, motorcycles, dirt bikes and boats.

In a rare rebuke, the GAO reported the agency broke the law with how it managed its budget.

Fronteras Desk
Fronteras Desk is a KJZZ project covering important stories in an expanse stretching from Northern Arizona deep into northwestern Mexico.
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona