Since taking office, the Trump administration has worked to end our border crisis by rescinding the open-borders policies of the previous administration, deploying significant resources to our borders, and deporting criminal aliens living in the U.S. Last week, the Trump administration expanded its whole-of-government approach to fighting illegal immigration through new agreements forged with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Eliminating the Use of Taxpayer Money to House Illegal Aliens
On March 24, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entitled, “American Housing Programs for American Citizens.” The agreement is aimed at ensuring that taxpayer-funded housing programs are not used to benefit illegal aliens. The Departments will collaborate to “identify illegal aliens who are ineligible for Federal housing assistance and take remedial measures to end this waste and abuse, including referral for immigration enforcement actions.”
Under the Biden administration, illegal aliens were able to take advantage of taxpayer-funded housing benefits, imposing substantial costs on Americans. Even though there are roughly nine million residents now utilizing public housing benefits, housing authorities are not mandated to report the number of illegal aliens among households receiving benefits lawfully. Thus, illegal aliens are often able to live covertly with citizens and lawfully present relatives who are receiving housing benefits. In 2023, FAIR estimated that taxpayers were shelling out at least $334 million annually on housing benefits for illegal aliens and their children. After the previous administration facilitated an unprecedented flow of illegal aliens into the country, these costs are undoubtedly even higher.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner emphasized the importance of ensuring that illegal aliens are not able to exploit housing benefits. “American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation’s housing crisis. This new agreement will leverage resources including technology and personnel to ensure the American people are the only priority when it comes to public housing. We will continue to work closely with DHS to maximize our resources and put American citizens first.”
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