Department of Housing to Work With DHS to Target Undocumented Immigrants in Housing Programs: 'American People Are the Only Priority'

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have reached an interagency agreement aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from accessing federally funded housing programs.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by HUD Secretary Scott Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, will facilitate data sharing between the two agencies to identify individuals ineligible for public housing assistance.

Turner said in an official statement on the HUD website that "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." He added that the agreement would leverage technology and personnel to prioritize American citizens in public housing programs.

Noem emphasized that the policy is part of a broader effort to prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving federal benefits:

"The Biden Administration prioritized illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens taxpayer-funded housing at the expense of Americans. Not anymore. If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over"

HUD also shared a video of both secretaries making the joint announcement:

The move aligns with rhetoric and policies pushed forward by Trump administration officials who argue that undocumented immigrants are a key factor in the country's housing crisis. Speaking at the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in early March, vice-president JD Vance contended that an influx of undocumented immigrants over the past four years has intensified competition for a limited housing supply, contributing to rising costs:

"When we talk about housing and why costs are so high, we don't talk enough about demand. And one of the drivers of increased housing demand, we know, is that we've got a lot of people over the last four years who have come into the country illegally"

Many economists who specialize in the real estate market, however, have said the factors driving up home prices are structural, including a construction downturn following the 2007-09 Great Recession