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James O’Keefe Shames Nonprofits that Profit from Illegal Migration

‘Line in the Sand’ Reveals Perverse Incentives of Taxpayer-Funded Assistance

ong migración James O'Keefe
O’Keefe found out most nonprofits are financially benefiting from US taxpayer dollars. (Sebastián Díaz)

Lea en español.

Illegal immigrants are at the mercy of US nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that mobilize when taxpayer funding is available. James O’Keefe—a guerrilla journalist and filmmaker—highlights this in his recent documentary Line in the Sand (100 minutes). Released on October 10, 2024, the film reveals how migrants are a lucrative asset for self-serving organizations, including those who allegedly assist illegal immigrants. 

The documentary opens with shocking footage of countless people boarding vehicles at the US southern border, illustrating the scale of this illegal activity. O’Keefe then presents his hypothesis: negligence of border patrols plays a key role in weakening border security.

However, during an interview, a border patrol officer answers a question about apprehending new arrivals: “There is not much we can do or say … At the end of the day, we’re just pawns.” This statement motivated O’Keefe to investigate the systemic failures within border control. He identified three arch enemies of a lawful immigration system: (1) fraudulent nonprofit organizations deceiving the US government, (2) cartels profiting from the fear and uncertainty experienced by illegal migrants, and (3) authorities seeking to abuse migrants.

Nonprofits Seek Profit

O’Keefe found out most nonprofits associated with migrant assistance programs are financially benefiting from US taxpayer dollars. Their activities are usually oriented towards solving issues foreigners face once they arrive in the United States, such as ground transportation and legal assistance for regularization. The NGOs do not attempt to dissuade illegal migration and would stand to lose from that outcome.  

In the film, O’Keefe identifies some of the NGOs that receive public funding: Southwest Key Programs, which received US$918 million from the US government in 2024, Catholic Charities ($42.8 million), and Immigrant Defenders ($6.6 million).

The same happens with legal support for navigating into asylum and work permission requests. Migrants interviewed by O’Keefe mentioned they had paid nonprofits $600 or more to request asylum, even though it can be done for free via the CBP One App

Moreover, the New York Post has reported that, from October 2022 to October 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) alone allocated $1.4 billion to address the migrant crisis. The program has financed housing and other services for migrants. 

Organized Criminals Are Biggest Winners

In his documentary, O’Keefe addresses the root cause of migration: “It is not about people. It is about money, but it is all about life or death.” Those who risk everything to enter the United States are driven by desperation. Many turn to anyone who offers even a sliver of hope, after enduring the harsh realities of poverty and insecurity in their home countries.

The film reveals how coyoteros—now operating hand in hand with organized crime—have become acutely aware of the deep-seated factors that push people to migrate. As a result, the influence of these human smugglers has only grown over the years. Most disguise themselves as travel agencies on social media, enticing individuals with promises of the elusive American dream.

Officials Take Piece of the Pie

The documentary also exposes abuse of power from migration authorities. In Mexico, for example, interviewed migrants revealed that some officials had extorted them by asking for a fee for passage. Other border officers rape migrants, which has become more common as a growing number of women and unaccompanied minors attempt to traverse remote areas.

In July 2024, gender-focused digital newsletter 19th News reported that, historically, most deaths at the US-Mexico border were men. However, this trend has shifted over the years. El Paso border patrol, for instance, reported 140 deaths in 2023. Of them, 51 percent were women. Similarly, in Arizona’s desert border region, 22 percent of the 2023 death cases were women. From 2010 to 2020, however, they only accounted for 10 percent of the deaths.

Regarding unaccompanied minors, in 2024 alone, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency encountered 99,704 unaccompanied minors. The documentary reports some children are as young as three years old. They often travel with other underage relatives, who suffer from the same uncertainty as their younger kin.

As the film explains, once unaccompanied minors arrive at the US border, they are sent to detention centers. In 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocated $48 million to these centers, which assign minors to sponsors. 

However, the film suggests these sponsors do not always undergo thorough background checks, which can result in minors being placed in abusive households. HHS whistleblower Tara Rodas told O’Kefee that her colleagues did not worry whether children were sent to addresses flagged for sexual abuse. The HHS workers argued that they would get punished if they kept children in government care for too long. There was no punishment for handing the children off to traffickers.

Bringing Topics to the Surface

O’Keefe brings to the table topics that are worth discussing, such as who is benefiting from illegal migration. While migrants usually start their journey to the United States seeking a better future, criminal groups, corrupt officers, and opportunistic nonprofits are skimming the cream of the top and perhaps profiting more than the migrants. 

However, the documentary struggles to go beyond the surface. This leaves viewers drawing their own conclusions and seeking insights beyond what most of us already understand. For instance, O’Keefe briefly mentions the services nonprofits provide to migrants, but he does not examine their impact on the immigration crisis—for example, whether they lift the numbers and/or help with integration. Similarly, he suggests cartels benefit from illegal migration as a source for human and organ trafficking, but he adds nothing to that observation.

O’Keefe draws attention to suffering and points fingers at profit-seeking NGOs and organized crime. However, Line in the Sand makes little effort to explore the economic drivers of this phenomenon, and his partisan insertions detract from his credibility. With or without NGOs, instability, insecurity, and minimal opportunities at home lead people to blindly pursue incredibly risky paths to the United States. Saving lives and promoting healthy, lawful migration will mean overcoming profound challenges that go beyond left-versus-right narratives and quick fixes.


This article reflects the views of the author and not necessarily the views of the Impunity Observer.
Este artículo refleja únicamente la opinión del autor, mas no necesariamente la opinión del Impunity Observer.


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