Did DOGE find a nonprofit that was being paid $18 million per month? Yes, that's true: An NBC San Antonio investigation confirmed that a local nonprofit was being paid $18 million per month by the federal government for migrant family facilities, as the social media account of conservative media personality Laura Ingraham posted. The nonprofit said in a statement they maintained "operational readiness" at the facility even if there were no occupants, a decision that was made by the federal government and said, "Any claims of corruption or mismanagement are baseless."
The claim appeared in a video and post (archived here) where it was published on Facebook by Fox News host Laura Ingraham on March 3, 2025. The caption read:
NBC San Antonio investigates nonprofit that got Its $18 million/month contract ended by DOGE, finds empty facility and revenue of $1.1 billion in 2022.
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Mar 13 22:11:52 2025 UTC)
According to the video embedded in the post from news station NBC San Antonio, DOGE -- the Department of Government Efficiency established by President Donald Trump and run by Elon Musk -- said the Department of Health and Human Services terminated a $216 million a year contract that paid the nonprofit Endeavors $18 million a month to operate a 3,000-bed facility in West Texas. The news station reported that DOGE focused on Endeavors' overflow housing facility for migrant families.
The report cited a February 26, 2025, tweet posted on the DOGE X account (archived here) that detailed the situation, as this screenshot shows:
(Source: X.com screenshot taken on Thu Mar 13 20:49:11 2025 UTC)
The Endeavors nonprofit, founded by five churches, released a statement on its website (archived here), saying the funding was justified because, while they didn't have occupants, they could be required to provide services at any moment, so they had to maintain their staffing and overhead. They said they have been providing services since 2012 and, "any claims of corruption or mismanagement are baseless." Here, in part, is the statement:
Since 2012, Endeavors has served migrant families and children under contracts with the federal government across multiple presidential administrations. We were one of 15 organizations awarded a contract in 2021 to assist the federal government in this area, and one of only three non-profits selected. Our selection was based on our proven experience, capacity, and more than a decade of performance.As part of our contract, Endeavors was responsible for maintaining operational readiness at the shelter in Pecos, Texas, ensuring the ability to scale from cold status (operationally ready but not actively serving children) to full use of 3,000 beds as needed. The vast majority of costs during cold status were allocated to facility operations, security, and IT services required to maintain readiness, in accordance with the contract terms.
Throughout our time operating the shelter, and in alignment with both the original contract and the subsequent competitively awarded agreement, federal officials were onsite daily, providing direct oversight and ensuring compliance with all contractual obligations. While we provided services as outlined in the contract, decisions regarding facility use and migrant sheltering locations were made by the federal government, not Endeavors.
Other Lead Stories fact checks about DOGE can be found here, about Elon Musk can be found here.
