Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner announced Friday that the Trump administration is launching a sweeping review of public housing authorities across the country to ensure illegal immigrants are not benefiting from taxpayer-funded assistance.
Turner said every public housing authority has 30 days to conduct an audit and verify the citizenship or “eligible immigration status” of residents.
“No longer will illegal aliens be able to leave citizenship boxes blank or take advantage of HUD-funded housing, riding the coattails of hardworking American citizens,” Turner wrote.
The secretary stressed that weak enforcement under previous administrations left thousands of American families on waiting lists.
“Currently, HUD only serves one out of four eligible families due, in part, to the lack of enforcement of prohibition against federally funded assistance to illegal aliens,” Turner continued.
HUD warned that noncompliance could lead to an “examination” of federal funding. Turner told Fox News’ Charles Hurt on Jesse Watters Primetime that Washington, D.C., has already been placed on notice and that more than 3,000 other public housing authorities will face the same requirements.
“American citizens will be prioritized,” Turner said.
Republicans welcomed the move.
Others were more skeptical, with one former HUD employee calling it duplicative:
The audit follows a March memorandum between Turner and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to expand oversight of public benefits.
“The entire government will work together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally,” Noem said. “If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over.”
Watch the full interview with the HUD Secretary below:
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