• Project Veritas released a video on Feb. 20, capturing a senior U.S. Department of Education (ED) official admitting that the agency operates as a de facto “sanctuary program” for illegal immigrants, allowing them access to taxpayer-funded benefits without verifying their citizenship status.
• Travis Combs, Branch Chief for ED’s Applied Innovation and Improvement, stated that the program deliberately avoids inquiring about the citizenship status of participants, which could provoke significant congressional backlash if fully known.
• Combs revealed that ED employees are using the encrypted messaging app Signal to bypass federal transparency laws and hide communications from oversight entities, a practice that could lead to termination if discovered by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• The revelations could trigger congressional inquiries and legal actions, with significant implications for federal law and policy, especially concerning immigration enforcement and government accountability.
• The incident highlights ongoing concerns about government transparency and accountability, potentially undermining public trust in federal institutions and sparking a broader debate on the balance between administrative efficiency and oversight.

In a startling development, a senior official from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) was captured on an undercover video admitting that the agency operates as a de facto “sanctuary program” for illegal immigrants, while also circumventing federal oversight through the use of encrypted messaging apps.

The video, released by Project Veritas on Feb. 20, has sparked immediate controversy and raised serious questions about government transparency and accountability. Travis Combs, Branch Chief for ED’s Applied Innovation and Improvement, was recorded admitting that the agency deliberately avoids inquiring about the citizenship status of program participants, thereby allowing illegal immigrants to access taxpayer-funded benefits without legal verification.

“The one nice thing about the program that I work in is that we don’t ask [citizenship] status and we’ve been able to keep that out of our federal statute,” Combs told an undercover journalist. He further acknowledged that if Congress were fully aware of the practice, it would cause significant backlash: “If Congress actually knew that we don’t have [citizenship requirements] … there would be a lot of uproar.”

Using encrypted messaging to evade oversight

The video also revealed that ED employees are using the encrypted messaging app Signal to bypass transparency laws and hide discussions from oversight entities.

“If you want to have a conversation with somebody, you do have to take it offline, but you’re not supposed to,” Combs said. “So, everybody uses an app called Signal now.”

Signal, known for its end-to-end encryption, ensures that only the intended recipients can access messages, calls, photos and files, making it virtually impossible for oversight bodies to monitor these communications. The use of Signal by government employees to evade scrutiny is particularly concerning, especially given the ongoing efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to root out waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies. Led by tech mogul Elon Musk, DOGE has been actively investigating federal agencies under President Donald Trump’s directive. (Related: Elon Musk’s DOGE feeds Education Dept. data into AI systems to identify inefficiencies.)

Combs admitted that if DOGE discovered their use of Signal, there was a 75 percent chance he would be terminated.

Potential federal violations and political ramifications

The revelations have significant implications for federal law and policy. ED’s alleged failure to verify citizenship status and its use of encrypted messaging to circumvent transparency requirements could lead to congressional inquiries and potential legal action.

Congressional Republicans have long raised concerns about the expansion of programs that may provide federal benefits to illegal immigrants and the scale of ED’s reported actions is unprecedented. The Trump administration, which has prioritized stricter immigration enforcement and government accountability, is likely to respond with further investigations and possible disciplinary actions.

“Democracy Falling should be the title of the movie,” Combs remarked, unwittingly providing a stark summary of the ongoing concerns about government transparency and accountability.

The undercover video released by Project Veritas has exposed serious allegations of misconduct within the U.S. Department of Education, raising questions about the agency’s compliance with federal laws and its commitment to transparency. As DOGE and Congress investigate these claims, the potential for significant political and legal consequences looms large. The incident underscores the ongoing debate about government oversight and the balance between administrative efficiency and public accountability, with far-reaching implications for both the current administration and the broader public trust in federal institutions.

Watch the video below where Congress Democrats were blocked from entering ED as DOGE focuses on the department’s wasteful spending.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Education Department places 55 employees on paid leave as part of Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives.

Biden’s Education Department has allocated more than $1 billion in grants to public schools to promote DEI PROGRAMS.

Department of Education was WEAPONIZED under Biden to attack, fine and bankrupt religious schools across America.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

ProjectVeritas.com

Brighteon.com