When I asked a good friend what he thought about DOGE, he thought I was talking about a cute dog. Then my friend said, did Elon start the government? Is that DOGE?
I went on to explain what DOGE is. America’s Department of Government Efficiency. As the Official DOGE website states, the DOGE team consists of world-class talent who work long hours identifying/eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. They are an amazing team of software engineers, product managers, designers, lawyers, data scientists, business analysts, and cybersecurity professionals.
As promised, here is Part 2 of DOGE’s Week 12 updates, covering Days 80 to 82 (April 10–April 12, 2025). In the first part, I shared how DOGE has been working tirelessly to eliminate waste, end discriminatory DEI practices, and modernize outdated systems. It’s both inspiring and frustrating to see the scale of inefficiencies DOGE is tackling—our tax dollars deserve better stewardship, and DOGE is delivering.
Day 80 (Week 12): DOGE and CBP Identify 6,300 Paroled Immigrants on Terror Watchlist or with Criminal Records
DOGE shared alarming findings about a Biden-era parole program, detailing the benefits accessed by immigrants with criminal or terrorist ties:
“Under the Biden administration, it was routine for Border Patrol to admit aliens into the United States with no legal status and minimal screening. So far, CBP identified a subset of 6.3k individuals paroled into the United States since 2023 on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center watchlist or with criminal records. These paroles have since been terminated with immediate effect.
Despite having no other legal status, paroled aliens are able to file for work authorization and receive social security numbers. Among these 6.3k paroled aliens with criminal or terrorist records (all have a social security number):
905 collecting Medicaid (including 4 on the terrorist watch list). $276k was paid out
41 collecting Unemployment Insurance, receiving $42k in benefits
22 received federal student loans totaling $280k
409 received {net} tax refunds (2024 only) for $751k
Several (final number TBD) received SNAP (food stamp) benefits”
The Biden administration’s 2023 parole program for Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Cubans allowed temporary entry with work authorization, but there was rampant insufficient vetting after Title 42’s enforcement was challenged. A related post from CBP noted that reduced illegal border crossings have allowed the closure of temporary processing facilities, saving $5M–$30M per month per facility.
Day 80 (Week 12): DOGE Identifies $382M in Unemployment Insurance Fraud
DOGE revealed significant fraud in Unemployment Insurance claims, posting: “An initial survey of Unemployment Insurance claims since 2020 revealed the following:
- 24.5k people over 115 years old claimed $59M in benefits
- 28k people between 1 and 5 years old claimed $254M in benefits
9.7k people with birth dates over 15 years in the future claimed”
https://twitter.com/DOGE/status/1910160784971255973_2
Followed by:
“California, New York, and Massachusetts accounted for most of these improper claims, totaling $305M in unemployment benefits. Additionally, California accounted for 68% of the unemployment benefits paid to parolees identified by CBP on the terrorist watchlist or with criminal”
https://twitter.com/DOGE/status/1910160784971255973_3
This ties back to findings from Day 79 (Part 1), where similar fraud was identified. A 2022 DOL report estimated $87B in fraudulent UI claims during the COVID-19 pandemic due to outdated technology and poor oversight. California’s high share of benefits to parolees on the terrorist watchlist ties to its sanctuary policies, debated since the 2017 Sanctuary State law (SB 54). DOGE’s work could lead to significant recoveries, building on its Week 11 recovery of $1.4B in COVID-era funds.
Day 80 (Week 12): DOGE Partners with Dept. of Defense to Uncover $5.1B in Waste
DOGE announced a major partnership with the Department of Defense, stating: “Great partnership between Secretary of Defense, Dept. of Defense, and DOGE. New DOGE findings, this time it’s $5.1 billion.
This follows DOGE’s earlier successes with the DoD, such as terminating $580M in wasteful contracts in March 2025. The scale of these findings highlights the systemic issues DOGE is addressing in government spending.
Day 81 (Week 12): GSA Secures 71% Price Reduction Through Consolidated Procurement
DOGE praised the U.S. General Services Administration for a cost-saving procurement deal:
“Good work by @USGSA for inking its first consolidated deal following the President’s Executive Order: Eliminating Waste and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement. With this deal, GSA effectively used government-wide buying leverage to secure a 71% price”
https://twitter.com/DOGE/status/1910160784971255973_5
Since January 2025, GSA has been working to right-size the federal real estate portfolio, selling 13 buildings and listing 68 more, saving millions in deferred maintenance costs. This procurement success builds on those efforts.
Day 81 (Week 12): Agencies Terminate 102 Wasteful Contracts, Saving $100M
DOGE reported the termination of 102 wasteful contracts, sharing:
“Contract update! Yesterday, agencies terminated 102 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of ~$215M and savings of ~$100M, including a $250K
contract for a “circadian lighting pilot study” and $195k in
consulting contracts to “provide facilitation and collaborative problem-solving services”.
https://twitter.com/DOGE/status/1910160784971255973_6
This continues DOGE’s aggressive contract review process, with over 3,000 wasteful contracts terminated since its inception in January 2025, totaling billions in savings. The circadian lighting study, for instance, was flagged as a low-impact project with questionable taxpayer value.
Day 82 (Week 12): DOGE Highlights SBA’s New Measures to Combat $630M in Fraudulent Loans
DOGE reposted a message from SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, announcing new verification measures to address fraudulent SBA loans: “Last month, DOGE uncovered more than $630M in SBA loans distributed to “borrowers” over the age of 115 or under the age of 11.
This week, SBA implemented a suite of new applicant verification measures – to make sure it never happens again.
The $630M in fraudulent SBA loans ties to a broader wave of COVID-era fraud, with the SBA reporting over $200B in potential fraud across its pandemic relief programs by 2023 [Ref web ID: 0]. A 2024 SBA Inspector General report flagged weak identity verification, leading to millions disbursed to ineligible entities. The new measures, including citizenship and date-of-birth checks, address vulnerabilities exploited during the Biden administration, such as a $783,000 loan approval to a business 49% owned by an illegal alien in 2024 [Ref web ID: 1]. This aligns with President Trump’s 2025 executive order to end taxpayer subsidization of open borders [Ref web ID: 1].
Day 82 (Week 12): Defend the Spend Initiative Subjects $700M in Payments to Justification
DOGE highlighted progress in their transparency initiative:
“Follow-up on Defend the Spend: Since the system was launched, over $700M in daily payments have been subject to payment justifications (ie “What is this?”) from recipients and agency leads. Thanks to the great work by @HHSGov for the first time ever, the American people will be able to see line-by-line payment descriptions & justifications — coming soon to the DOGE website.”
The Program Support Center (PSC) in @HHSGov processes ~$215B/year ($860M/business day) in grant payments. When those payments are made:
- If the grantee is directly drawing, no documentation, receipt, or explanation is required
- If the agency is approving, there is no” [Post: https://x.com/DOGE/status/1910160784971255973_7] Context: This transparency push follows DOGE’s earlier efforts to make grant payments publicly accountable, with 37,207 payments already posted on their website in March 2025. The lack of prior documentation has been a long-standing issue, contributing to fraud and waste, as seen in a 2021 GAO report noting $1.2B in improper Medicaid payments to ineligible noncitizens between 2018 and 2020.
Day 82 (Week 12): Energy Dept. Caps University Grant Overhead, Saving $400M Annually
DOGE commended a new policy at the Department of Energy: “Great work by Secretary Wright @SecretaryWright @Energy policy caps university grant overhead at 15%, consistent with for-profit, non-profit, and state/local government awardees. This saves taxpayers >$400M/yr. More money available for research, and less money to administrative bloat.”
https://twitter.com/DOGE/status/1910160784971255973_8
Historically, universities have charged high overhead rates (up to 50% in some cases), diverting federal research funds to facility upgrades rather than innovation. This reform ensures more efficient use of taxpayer dollars, building on DOGE’s mission to prioritize merit and impact.
Impact:
In just three days, DOGE’s Week 12 (Part 2) efforts have saved taxpayers $100M through contract terminations, identified $382M in fraudulent UI claims and $630M in improper SBA loans, and implemented policies saving $400M annually in university grant overhead. The partnership with the Department of Defense uncovered an additional $5.1B in waste, while the “Defend the Spend” initiative is bringing unprecedented transparency to federal payments. These actions add to DOGE’s 2025 savings, now exceeding $3B across agencies, with potential for more as fraud recoveries progress.
The Doge Diaries:
As I slog through my taxes, owing enough to buy a car, I’m left wondering what I’m getting for my money. DOGE—America’s Department of Government Efficiency, not a cute dog—uncovers nonstop waste: $5.1B in DoD overspending, $382M in fraudulent UI claims, $630M in improper SBA loans, and unchecked HHS grants. I had to clarify to my friend, who thought Elon Musk started the government, that DOGE’s elite team—engineers, lawyers, data scientists—relentlessly fights fraud and abuse. It’s infuriating to see our tax dollars misused, but DOGE’s swift action gives hope. Despite absurd protests and threats, they deserve our support. May God protect Elon and the team as they battle for accountability.
Previous Weeks:
Catch up on DOGE’s journey with our previous articles:
Source:
DOGE’s X account and related posts
Note: This article covers updates through April 12, 2025. Stay tuned for more as DOGE continues its mission to streamline government operations.
Headliner picture: Elon Musk visits the CIA on 4/1/25
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