Sec. Kristi Noem Accuses ‘Democrats of Running a Shadow Government Through a Maze of NGOs’ [WATCH]

War Secretary Kristi Noem announced that federal grant funding to nongovernmental organizations accused of assisting illegal immigration has been halted, telling Fox News host Will Cain that the move follows a review of how taxpayer dollars were being used by agencies distributing grants.

Noem said the action was taken to stop federal money from supporting operations she described as contributing to illegal border crossings.

“Today, we are announcing that we have stopped all grant funding that’s being abused by NGOs to facilitate illegal immigration into this country,” Noem said.

She stated that “hundreds of millions of dollars” had been directed to organizations involved in what she called an “invasion of our country.”

Noem said she ordered a reevaluation of those grants to “make sure that we’re actually using the taxpayer dollars in a way that strengthens this country, that keeps us safe.”

She said the review includes examining how grants are awarded and ensuring those funds are no longer used in ways that could contribute to illegal entry.

“That evaluation needs to be done. We’re not spending another dime to help the destruction of this country,” she said.

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Noem added that the decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s directives on border security.

“We’re going to make sure that we follow through on what President Trump has promised, and that’s to make sure that we’re securing our border, departing those who are here illegally and committing criminal actions, and that our taxpayer dollars aren’t spending, aren’t spent to help it.”

During the segment, Cain said many Americans may not be aware of the extent to which NGOs are involved in operations linked to illegal immigration.

“And Madam Secretary, I don’t think people fully understand the role that NGOs play. Many NGOs play in facilitating illegal immigration,” Cain said. He pointed to federal spending figures, noting that “over $380 million did in 2024 for sheltering and service programs for illegal immigrants,” and said that a “vast network of NGOs” operates along routes through Central and South America.

Cain said these groups assist individuals moving through Panama and Mexico before reaching the United States.

“So what you’re telling us today is that now stops, at least the federal funding of that stops,” he said.

Noem confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security has ceased the use of federal dollars for these organizations.

“Yes. Through the Department of Homeland Security, we have stopped spending those dollars to fund those NGOs,” she said.

Noem added that officials learned many of the groups receiving funding have active operations on the Mexico side of the border.

She said some organizations are “telling those illegal immigrants to come to them and they will get them across the border,” describing activities outside the United States that assist individuals seeking to cross illegally.

Noem also discussed how she previously viewed NGOs and how her understanding changed as she observed their development.

“I was one of those Americans that years ago when somebody said NGO to me, I thought, Oh, that’s amazing. That’s a nonprofit that’s out there telling somebody about Jesus or spreading faith and salvation or doing good work and charitable work helping people that are less fortunate,” she said.

She said she later concluded that some NGOs had shifted away from those roles.

“Then I realized over the years, it’s been perverted into this shadow government. An NGO is sometimes an operation that does things that the government cannot do, can’t legally do. So they create an entity to use government dollars, taxpayer dollars, to do something that the federal government isn’t allowed to do, to do a shadow government operation that really has been used recently to undermine our country’s national security.”

ALERT: This won’t sit quietly.

Homeland Security Secretary @Sec_Noem just sounded the alarm — and it’s HUGE.

She’s accusing Democrats of running a shadow government through a maze of NGOs… a coordinated machine designed to weaken, bypass, and eventually overthrow the… pic.twitter.com/LARqGkayH1

— Charlie’s Voice Rising (@CharlieK_news) November 21, 2025

The review of federal grants and the halt in funding remain in effect as DHS and other agencies continue assessing programs connected to nonprofit organizations operating along the border and outside the United States.

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