HUD Orders Illegal Aliens Removed From Publicly-Funded Housing

The Trump administration is launching a sweeping review of federally funded public housing programs to ensure that taxpayer dollars are no longer used to shelter illegal immigrants.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner announced the initiative, directing every public housing authority in the country to conduct a 30-day audit verifying the citizenship or lawful immigration status of tenants.

“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 earlier this month.

He stressed that HUD assistance has been stretched thin because of weak enforcement under prior administrations: “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.”

Any agency failing to comply could see its federal funding scrutinized, Turner warned.

Speaking on Fox News Channel’s Jesse Watters Primetime with guest host Charles Hurt in late August, Turner said Washington, D.C.’s Housing Authority was the first to be put on notice. More than 3,000 housing authorities nationwide are now under the same directive, he added, stressing that “American citizens will be prioritized.”

GOP Applause, Left-Wing Complaints

Republicans have praised the move as long overdue.

“Anyone in this country illegally should be deported, not given publicly funded housing!” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) posted to X.

But critics are objecting, including former HUD employee Cat Vielma, who argued that the enforcement push would stretch staff thin: “This is already the law – proof of citizenship is a requirement for any public housing or section 8 unit. Requiring a second, immediate accounting will not provide a massive correction or eviction. It will simply divert staff from serving American seniors, vets etc.”

Whole-of-Government Push Against Illegal Immigration

This spring, HUD Secretary Turner and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen oversight of public housing in light of the surge in illegal immigration under the Biden administration.

“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 declared. “If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over.”

Trump’s Broader Immigration Crackdown

Washington, D.C., has become a focal point for the administration’s crackdown. National Guard troops and federal law enforcement have been deployed to confront rising crime, with officials signaling that Democrat-run cities such as Chicago could soon face similar interventions.

Meanwhile, President Trump scored a major legal victory last week after a federal appeals court ruled that he likely has the authority to revoke Biden-era parole programs that had allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti to enter the country temporarily.

The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, despite being composed entirely of Democratic appointees, concluded that Trump acted within the law and that the Department of Homeland Security properly justified its reversal of the policy.

Judge Gustavo Gelpí, writing for the panel, acknowledged the ruling’s sweeping impact but affirmed that Trump has broad discretion to dismantle parole programs in their entirety.

The decision delivers another win for the President, cementing his power to restore immigration enforcement after years of reckless expansion under Biden.