DHS Secretary Mayorkas ordered review of suspect migrant housing contract, emails show

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered a review of a $530 million migrant housing contract after receiving a news article questioning the legality of the award, emails show.

The American Accountability Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act request in 2021, through which it obtained an email exchange between Mayorkas and DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Marsha Espinosa regarding the matter, which the group then shared with the Washington Examiner.

The April 14, 2021, exchange begins with Espinosa sending Mayorkas a link to a news article about the agency's award of the lucrative housing contract to Endeavors. Mayorkas responded, saying "We need to inquire of Contracting/Management to determine whether principles and rules were followed scrupulously."

AAF founder Tom Jones told the Examiner that "[t]he email from the Secretary underscores that even he knew this contract was highly suspect and likely subject to inappropriate influence."

"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," he continued.

Under Mayorkas, the nation has witnessed an unprecedented surge in illegal migration, with roughly 2.4 million migrants entering the country in fiscal year 2022 alone and nearly 4 million doing so since the start of the Biden administration.

Mayorkas has been embroiled in a number of scandals pertaining to his handling of the southern border and Republicans had long vowed to impeach him prior to taking control of the House in early January.

They made good on that pledge this week, with Texas Republican Rep. Pat Fallon filing articles of impeachment on Tuesday.