2021-05-13 JDJ JC TM To HHS Re Contracts-Combined

May 13, 2021
The Honorable Xavier Becerra

Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
Dear Secretary Becerra:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reportedly awarded
Endeavors, Inc. a contract worth $530 million to house unaccompanied alien children (UACs) in
hotels.1 On March 20, 2021, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also announced
it had signed a contract with Endeavors worth nearly $87 million to provide “shelter and
processing services” to families that had illegally entered the United States.2 News reports later
indicated that shortly before ICE and HHS awarded the no-bid contracts to Endeavors, the
company hired a former ICE official and advisor to the Biden-Harris transition team to be its
senior director for migrant services and federal affairs.3 Because of the unusual nature of this
contract, we write to request additional information about this matter.
ICE and HHS’s no-bid contracts raise several concerns. Not only did ICE and HHS
award contracts to Endeavors after recently hiring a former ICE official and Biden-Harris
transition team adviser, but ICE and HHS had never before contracted with Endeavors and the
contract was allegedly awarded without soliciting any other bids.4 Contrary to President Biden
and Vice President Harris’s effort to ignore the crisis at the border, ICE cited “unusual and
compelling urgency” as the reason for the no-bid contract.5 ICE and HHS’s decision to avoid the
contracting process—and to cite a compelling urgency at the same time the Biden
Administration has downplayed the crisis—raises serious questions about the propriety of the
contract.
Therefore, to assist the Committees with oversight of this issue and to better understand
the nature of the contract, we request you provide the following information:
1
Lachlan Markay & Stef W. Kight, Exclusive: Texas nonprofit got massive border contract after hiring Biden
official, AXIOS (Apr. 14, 2021), https://www.axios.com/texas-nonprofit-border-contract-biden-official-23a493f4-
6779-44f0-a5d4-db8690f11aec.html.
2
Press Release, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Statement attributable to ICE Acting Director Tae D.
Johnson (Mar. 20, 2021), https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/statement-attributable-ice-acting-director-tae-d-
johnson.
3
Id.
4
Anna Giaritelli, Exclusive: ICE gave $87M no-bid contract to business with Biden ties, raising conflict of interest
question, Washington Examiner (Apr. 07, 2021), https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-ice-gave-87m-
no-bid-contract-conflict-of-interest.
5
Id.
The Honorable Xavier Becerra
May 13, 2021
Page 2
1. A list of all services provided by Endeavors under the contract with HHS;
2. A list of any hotels used by Endeavors to hold UACs including the following details:
a. The address of each hotel;
b. The number and type of rooms booked by category and used by UACs at each
hotel;
c. The number of meals provided to UACs at each hotel;
d. The date on which UACs stayed at each hotel;
3. A full accounting of all expenses paid by Endeavors to hold UACs at the hotels; and
4. All documents and communications between or among employees of HHS and

employees, representatives, or contractors of Endeavors for the period of January 1, 2021,
to the present.
Please provide this information as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 p.m. on May
27, 2021. Additionally, we request that you arrange a staff briefing on this matter.
If you have any questions about this request, please contact Judiciary Committee staff at
(202) 225-6906 or Oversight Committee staff at (202) 225-5074. Thank you for your attention to
this matter.
Sincerely,
Jim Jordan James Comer

Ranking Member Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary Committee on Oversight and Reform
Tom McClintock
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship
Committee on the Judiciary
cc: The Honorable Jerrold L. Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary

The Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight and Reform
The Honorable Zoe Lofgren, Chair, Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship,
May 13, 2021
Mr. Jon Allman

President and CEO
Endeavors, Inc.
6363 De Zavala Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78249
Dear Mr. Allman:
On March 20, 2021, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that
they had signed a contract with Endeavors, Inc., worth nearly $87 million to provide “shelter and
processing services” to families that had illegally entered the United States.1 Reportedly, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also awarded Endeavors a contract worth
$530 million to house unaccompanied alien children (UACs) in hotels.2 News reports later
indicated that shortly before ICE and HHS awarded the no-bid contracts to Endeavors, the
company hired a former ICE official and advisor to the Biden-Harris transition team to be its
senior director for migrant services and federal affairs.3 Because of the unusual nature of this
contract, we write to request additional information about this matter.
ICE and HHS’s no-bid contracts raise several concerns. Not only did ICE and HHS
award contracts to Endeavors after recently hiring a former ICE official and Biden-Harris
transition team adviser, but ICE and HHS had never before contracted with Endeavors and the
contract was allegedly awarded without soliciting any other bids.4 Contrary to President Biden
and Vice President Harris’s effort to ignore the crisis at the border, ICE cited “unusual and
compelling urgency” as the reason for the no-bid contract.5 ICE and HHS’s decision to avoid the
contracting process—and to cite a compelling urgency at the same time the Biden
Administration has downplayed the crisis—raises serious questions about the propriety of the
contract.
1
johnson.
2
6779-44f0-a5d4-db8690f11aec.html.
3
Id.
4
question, WASHINGTON EXAMINER (Apr. 07, 2021), https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-ice-gave-
87m-no-bid-contract-conflict-of-interest.
5
Id.
Jon Allman
May 13, 2021
Page 2
Therefore, to assist the Committees with oversight of this issue and to better understand
the nature of the contract, we request you provide the following information:
1. A list of all hotels used by Endeavors to hold illegal alien families and UACs including
the following details:
a. The address of each hotel;
b. The number and type of rooms by category booked and used by illegal alien
families and UACs at each hotel;
c. The number of meals provided to illegal alien families and UACs at each hotel;
and
d. The date on which illegal alien families and UACs stayed at each hotel;
2. A full accounting of all expenses paid by Endeavors to hold the illegal alien families and
UACs at the hotels; and
3. All documents and communications between or among employees of ICE and HHS and
employees, representatives, or contractors of Endeavors for the period of January 1, 2021,
to the present.
Please provide this information as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 p.m. on May
27, 2021. Additionally, we request that you arrange a staff briefing on this matter.
this matter.
Sincerely,

Tom McClintock
Ranking Member

May 13, 2021
Mr. Tae D. Johnson

Acting Director
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
500 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20536
Dear Acting Director Johnson:
On March 20, 2021, you announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) had signed a contract with Endeavors, Inc. worth nearly $87 million to provide “shelter
and processing services” to families that had illegally entered the United States.1 News reports
later indicated that shortly before ICE awarded the no-bid contract to Endeavors, the company
had hired a former ICE official and advisor to the Biden-Harris transition team to be its senior
director for migrant services and federal affairs.2 Because of the unusual nature of this contract,
as well as ICE’s decision to spend taxpayer dollars to house illegal aliens when existing federal
facilities have capacity, we write to request additional information about this matter.
ICE’s no-bid contract to Endeavors raises several concerns. Not only did ICE award a
contract to a company that had recently hired a former ICE official and Biden-Harris transition
team adviser, but ICE had never before contracted with Endeavors and the contract was allegedly
awarded without soliciting any other bids.3 Contrary to President Biden and Vice President
Harris’s effort to ignore the crisis at the border, ICE cited “unusual and compelling urgency” as
the reason for the no-bid contract.4 ICE’s decision to avoid the regular order contracting
process—and to cite a compelling urgency at the same time the Biden Administration has
downplayed the crisis—raises serious questions about the propriety of the contract.
It is also troubling that ICE spent taxpayer dollars on a contract with Endeavors to house
illegal alien families in hotels when ICE’s own family residential centers are sitting nearly
empty. ICE currently maintains three Family Residential Centers (FRCs) specifically designed to
house alien families: one in Dilley, Texas; one in Karnes, Texas; and one in Leesport,
1
johnson.
2
6779-44f0-a5d4-db8690f11aec.html.
3
question, Washington Examiner (Apr. 07, 2021), https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-ice-gave-87m-
no-bid-contract-conflict-of-interest.
4
Id.
Mr. Tae. D. Johnson
May 13, 2021
Page 2
Pennsylvania.5 These FRCs have a combined capacity to house over 2,300 aliens under COVID-
protocols.6 However, ICE has informed Committee staff that the two facilities in Texas are
housing around 200 aliens total while the Pennsylvania FRC sits empty because ICE released all
family units from that facility in late February.7 In light of these vacancies at established federal
facilities, the need for ICE’s no-bid contract with Endeavors is even more questionable.
The Biden border crisis is the direct result of the radical immigration policies of President
Biden. Rather than reserve these radical policies and reimplement the successful policies of
President Trump, the Biden Administration is wasting taxpayer money on an unnecessary no-bid
contract to a company with insider connections. Therefore, to assist the Committees with
oversight of this issue and to better understand the nature of the contracts with Endeavors, we
request you provide the following documents and information:
1. A list of all hotels used by Endeavors to house illegal alien families, including the
following details:
a. The address of each hotel,
b. The number and type of rooms by category booked and used by illegal alien
families at each hotel,
c. The number of meals provided to illegal alien families at each hotel, and
d. The dates on which illegal alien families stayed at each hotel
2. A full accounting of all expenses paid by Endeavors to house illegal alien families;
3. All documents and communications between or among employees of ICE and employees,
representatives, or contractors of Endeavors for the period January 1, 2021, to the
present.
Please provide this information as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 27, 2021.
Additionally, we request that you arrange a staff briefing on this matter following ICE’s
provision of this material.
this matter.
Sincerely,

5
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Detention Management, Family Residential Centers,
https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-management.
6
Telephonic briefing by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to House and Senate Committees (Apr. 22,
2021).
7
Id.
Mr. Tae. D. Johnson
May 13, 2021
Page 3
Tom McClintock
Ranking Member


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May 13, 2021

The Honorable Xavier Becerra

Dear Secretary Becerra:

4. All documents and communications between or among employees of HHS and

Jim Jordan James Comer

cc: The Honorable Jerrold L. Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary

Mr. Jon Allman

Dear Mr. Allman:

Jim Jordan James Comer

cc: The Honorable Jerrold L. Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary

Mr. Tae D. Johnson

Dear Acting Director Johnson:

Jim Jordan James Comer

cc: The Honorable Jerrold L. Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary

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