Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner has unveiled a proposed rule designed to shut down a long-abused loophole that has allowed illegal aliens to tap into taxpayer-funded public housing benefits meant for American citizens.
The initiative is the latest in President Donald Trumps broader push to restore integrity to immigration and welfare policy, tightening eligibility so that HUD assistance is reserved for citizens and lawfully present noncitizens. According to Gateway Pundit, the rule specifically targets so-called mixed-status households, in which illegal aliens share subsidized units with family members who qualify for benefits, a practice conservatives have long criticized as an end-run around federal law.
Under existing regulations, subsidies are prorated based on the number of eligible occupants, effectively allowing those here illegally to live in publicly supported housing so long as one family member qualifies. The new proposal would require every individual in a HUD-assisted household to provide proof of legal eligibility, thereby excluding those without lawful status from any participation in the program.
Turner framed the change as a matter of basic fairness to American taxpayers, telling Breitbart News, There is a decades-old loophole in our regulation right now called mixed-status household that were closing with our new proposed rule of qualified citizens, we will guarantee that the people that receive HUD-funded housing are American people. In an op-ed for the Washington Post published just before the announcement, he underscored the scope of the problem, noting that roughly 24,000 ineligible noncitizens are currently living in HUD-subsidized units.
He argued that this policy shift would end the era of illegal aliens and other ineligible noncitizens exploiting public housing resources, especially at a time when limited funds and long waiting lists leave many American families struggling to secure assistance. The proposal revives a similar effort from President Trumps first term and would compel local housing authorities to report ineligible tenants to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, reinforcing cooperation between welfare agencies and immigration enforcement.
Progressive housing advocates claim the rule could trigger evictions affecting tens of thousands, including U.S. citizen children in mixed-status families, raising the specter of family separations or homelessness. Turner and his supporters counter that enforcing Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 is not optional, and that ignoring the law only incentivizes more illegal immigration and deeper strain on public resources.
In his Post op-ed, Turner detailed the broader enforcement agenda: HUDs proposed rule enforcing Section 214 is part of our broader campaign to crack down on illegal and ineligible aliens siphoning public assistance from the American people. We terminated access to FHA-insured mortgages for individuals who do not meet lawful residency requirements. We announced a crime hotline for residents in HUD-funded housing to report illegal aliens and other criminals. And we have strengthened law-enforcement coordination with DHS to stop the flow of funds to illegals.
President Donald Trump promised welfare reform to restore common sense, and that is exactly what HUD is doing.
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