HUD proposes new rule that would disqualify illegal aliens from public housing

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed a new rule barring most non-citizens, including illegal aliens, from taking advantage of public housing.

Published in the Federal Register on Friday, the rule calls for ensuring that public funding is only used to house citizens and certain non-citizens, according to the Associated Press.

“The rule would require every resident in HUD-funded housing to show proof of citizenship or eligible status, including those 62 years and older who previously only had to show proof of age,” the AP reported.

.@SecretaryTurner announced a new proposed rule to require proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible status for every resident in HUD-funded housing, including “mixed status households.”

With this proposed rule, HUD will ensure that taxpayer-funded housing benefits only go to… pic.twitter.com/IrWFZa26eJ

— Department of Housing and Urban Development (@HUDgov) February 19, 2026

A similar rule was reportedly proposed during President Donald Trump’s first administration but never finalized.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the days of illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters gaming the system and riding the coattails of American taxpayers are over,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement.

“HUD’s proposed rule will guarantee that all residents in HUD-funded housing are eligible tenants. We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes,” he added.

Turner also took a social media stab at the mainstream press for shedding tears over the fate of illegal aliens:

Mainstream media is bending over backwards to defend illegals and fraudsters abusing taxpayer-funded resources.

We’ll keep following the law and making room for American citizens on the waitlist for assistance. pic.twitter.com/e2t2rs2o0Z

— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) February 20, 2026

And he even penned a Washington Post column fiercely defending his position.

“Mixed-status households. Ineligible noncitizens. Public housing. These three phrases were never intended to coexist under one federally subsidized roof,” he wrote. “And yet, under current loopholes, they do. Proof of citizenship is not required.”

“Previous administrations turned a blind eye to enforcing [the law]. The law is clear: Housing assistance must only go to eligible individuals. This requirement exists to protect the families and taxpayers who fund the nation’s welfare system. It draws a hard line,” he added.

He continued by vowing that HUD “will restore accountability and ensure that American citizens are the priority” and by noting that the new rule will save Americans $218 million in taxpayer funds.

For too long, illegals and ineligibles have taken spots in public housing through the “mixed status” roommate loophole, while Americans were forced to wait.

That ends today. pic.twitter.com/YoFsvggtVT

— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) February 20, 2026

Critics meanwhile also include so-called “housing advocates.”

“Our country can ensure that every one of us, no matter where we come from or what language we speak, has a safe home,” National Housing Law Project executive director Shamus Roller said in a statement to the AP. “Instead, Trump is trying to evict immigrant families, citizen and non-citizen, from HUD housing.”

The latter sentence was a blatant lie, though the AP conveniently didn’t fact-check it.

Sonya Acosta, a senior policy analyst with the far-left Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, also complained.

“Everyone deserves an affordable home, including our neighbors, friends, and coworkers who are immigrants,” she said. “This rule would force 20,000 families with mixed immigration statuses to make the agonizing choice between losing the assistance that helps them pay rent every month or separating their family.”

Conservatives conversely say it’s not fair to house illegal aliens using taxpayer funds.

“At a time when affordable housing is in such short supply for anyone of low income, it makes sense to change the policy for potential new tenants — both to be fair to those on waiting lists and to limit a financial incentive for illegal immigration,” Howard Husock of the American Enterprise Institute wrote last year.

“It was the economist Milton Friedman, himself an immigration advocate, who observed that it’s hard to reconcile the safety net of the welfare state with open borders. It’s an insight that has never applied more than to public housing,” he added.

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