Official Admits DOE Is Dodging DOGE Oversight

Department of Education staff remove citizenship requirements from legislation, offer programs to illegal immigrants, and are using a messaging app to avoid oversight from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to an undercover video published Feb. 20 by Project Veritas.

“If Congress actually knew that we don’t ask that [citizenship status], there would be a lot of, probably, a lot of uproar,” said DOE Branch Chief Travis Combs. “You know how they have like sanctuary cities? We would be a sanctuary program where we’re spending federal dollars on illegal immigrants.”

Ignoring Citizenship

Combs is a branch chief in the DOE’s office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, according to LinkedIn. He said in the video he oversees seven staff who “develop professional development projects for teachers and adult education.” He said the programs focus on areas including GED [general educational development], high school diploma, ESL [English as a second language], and citizenship.

“The one nice thing about this program that I work in is we don’t ask [citizenship] status, and we’ve been able to keep that out of our federal statute,” he said. “We don’t ask them when they enroll what their status is.”

Combs said “undocumented” people can take part in these programs “as long as they follow the process.” He said recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) “have to follow the rules for DACA,” but “if they’re illegal, illegal, it’s going to be pretty hard.”

“The big misconception is that we set like the curriculum, we set the student learning and everything. But we don’t do any of that … We just provide funding for the states to carry out public education.”

Manipulating Congress

The journalist asked Combs if Congress tries to advance legislation requiring citizenship for the department’s programs. He said Congress does, “but then we block it.”

“We just take that out, that they have to ask for status… We just leave it completely out,” Combs said. “When they mark up a bill, they only read sections of it. And so if you can squeeze something in somewhere, do that.”

The journalist asked if that is “still in place,” and Combs said yes. Combs said the department meddles in legislation “very strategically.” He said when legislators or their teams add a clause the department dislikes, “We’re like, ‘Oh no, it won’t work for the program.’ So then they don’t put it in.”

“There’s a lot of maneuvering you have to do at the federal level with Congress,” Combs said. 

Deceiving DOGE

The journalist asked Combs where American education sits in relation to the rest of the world.

“Probably sitting thirties, forties,” Combs said. “Yeah, not good… I’m telling you it is insanity.”

Combs said DOGE has been reviewing the department, and “shut off everyone’s access to everything because they’re in the building looking through everything.” He said DOGE has reached the secretary of education’s floor, and kicked “senior leadership staff” out of their offices into cubicles. 

Combs also said DOGE installed software to track keystrokes on department computers, and placed monitors on Microsoft Teams to “listen in to the calls we have with team members or contractors.”

“If you want to have a conversation with somebody, you do have to take it offline, but you’re not supposed to,” Combs said. 

The journalist said he is surprised more employees aren’t doing that —  but Combs said they are.

“You’re being paid to sip margaritas,” the journalist said.

“Yeah,” Combs said. “So if you hear from me and I tell you that I’m in Mexico on the beach, that’s why.”

Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He is a spring 2025 fellow of The College Fix. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo’s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.