Trump administration moves to crack down on illegal immigrants in public housing

The Trump administration on Friday moved forward with a proposed rule to make it harder for illegal immigrants to access federally subsidized housing -- the latest crackdown by the administration on immigrants who use public assistance. The rule, proposed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and posted in the Federal Register, would require that those seeking public housing would be subject to verification of their immigration status. Only families in which every member is either a citizen or a legal resident would qualify for federally subsidized housing. Currently families where at least one person is either a citizen or green card holder can get federal assistance, even if other family members are not. The administration says that regulations “presently excuse individuals from submitting documentation if they do not contend to having eligible immigration status. This results in no actual determination of immigration status being made.” The rule would also require current participants who have not previously proven their eligibility to do so at their next evaluation of their need for public assistance. An agency analysis, reported by The Washington Post, found that approximately 25,000 households, representing about 108,000 people, now live in subsidized housing with at least one person who would be ineligible...MORE