DHS official promotes illegal immigration, tips for border crossers on TikTok: Report

A new report by a conservative watchdog group alleges that a U.S. immigration official has been “actively promoting illegal immigration” through social media videos posted on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. The American Accountability Foundation published a report detailing the activities of Wilson Osorio, an associate counsel at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a branch under the Department of Homeland Security.

The report is part of a larger “DHS Bureaucrat Watchlist” that highlighted members of the Biden administration the foundation believed were not enforcing immigration policy. It was funded in part by the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind the controversial Project 2025 proposal.

The report claims that Osorio has been posting videos on his personal social media pages, where he interacts with migrants who crossed the border illegally, promoting their success stories and describing life in the U.S. Since July, dozens of such videos have reportedly been shared.

Some videos provide tips for potential border crossers, including warnings about smugglers and the heat of the desert. In one instance, Osorio allegedly interviewed an individual who crossed the border illegally 20 years ago and now owns a restaurant making over $1 million in sales.

Other videos highlight the earnings of migrants in construction jobs, with one Venezuelan migrant stating he has saved enough money to build a home in Honduras and plans to move back soon, according to the watchdog group’s translations.

While the foundation links to Osorio’s videos, the original sources are no longer available to the public. Following the publication of the report, Osorio reportedly took down some social media accounts and made others private.

The American Accountability Foundation expressed concern over Osorio’s social media activity.

“Even as he collects his taxpayer-funded salary, Osorio pushes his radical open borders agenda that is endangering the safety, stability, and livelihoods of millions of Americans,” Thomas Jones, president of the American Accountability Foundation, said. “It is an utter betrayal of the American people. He must be fired immediately.”

The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the allegations made by the foundation.