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Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Yes.

The federal government coordinates with and provides funding to nongovernmental organizations that provide services such as food, shelter and transportation to noncitizens at the Mexican border.

Nonprofits spent $1 million on travel of all types in fiscal 2021, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in April 2023.

The travel funds are used, for example, for transporting migrants from Department of Homeland Security facilities to a final destination.

Texas and Denver organizations used federal money to buy bus, train and plane tickets for migrants to come to Chicago, Axios reported.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

U.S. Government Accountability Office: Southwest Border: DHS Coordinates with and Funds Nonprofits Serving Noncitizens

AP News: US Senate candidate spreads false claims about migrant aid

FEMA: Fiscal Year 2023 Shelter and Services Program Frequently Asked Questions

Axios: Texas, Denver using federal funds to send migrants to Chicago

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Tom Kertscher joined as a Wisconsin Watch fact checker in January 2023 and contributes to our collaboration with the The Gigafact Project to fight misinformation online. Kertscher is a former longtime newspaper reporter, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who has worked as a self-employed journalist since 2019. His gigs include contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and sports freelancer for The Associated Press.