HUD Secretary Scott Turner Doubles Down on Ensuring HUD Resources Do Not Benefit Illegal Aliens
Directive halts misuse of taxpayer funds meant for Americans
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner today issued a letter to grantees and stakeholders underscoring that federal housing assistance will no longer be granted to illegal aliens or sanctuary cities. The directive reinforces HUD programs are strictly reserved for the American people, eliminating any ambiguity in policy. This action aligns directly with President Trump’s Executive Order 14218, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”
Read the full letter here or below:
April 4, 2025
Dear HUD Grantees and Stakeholders,
President Trump issued Executive Order 14218, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” on February 19, 2025, to promote the rule of law and prevent American taxpayer dollars from being spent on federal assistance for illegal aliens. As Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), it is my responsibility to effectively implement the President’s executive order at the agency.
HUD’s contributions to housing and community development across the country serve some of America’s most vulnerable citizens on a path towards self-sufficiency. To that end, the President’s Executive Order emphasizes that the federal resources distributed by HUD shall be primarily focused on benefiting American citizens and other qualified recipients, not illegal aliens.
President Trump’s Executive Order reinforces the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193), which unequivocally prohibits illegal aliens from receiving certain federal public benefits, including many forms of assistance provided under HUD programs. Further, Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-399) prohibits HUD from making financial assistance available to persons other than United States citizens or certain categories of eligible noncitizens in the Section 8 Housing Assistance programs, Public Housing programs, Housing Development Grant programs, Section 202 direct loan program, Section 235 program, Section 236 Program, and Rent Supplement Program. This letter serves as a reminder to all HUD grantees of their legal obligations to comply with these laws and the President’s Executive Order.
Recently, I directed HUD senior leadership to review our programs and institute mechanisms that can ensure that HUD programs are compliant with President Trump’s Executive Order. For example, going forward, grant agreements will include language that will require compliance with Executive Order 14218, and the Department will take steps to ensure that Federal resources are not used to support “sanctuary” policies of State and local jurisdictions that actively prevent federal authorities from deporting illegal aliens.
I am excited to work with our grantees and other stakeholders to implement this Executive Order and enforce the law so that HUD programs are used for the benefit of the American people. Thank you for your cooperation, and I encourage you to contact our team at HUD with any ideas that may be able to help improve our implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order.
Sincerely,
Scott Turner