Philadelphia — Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner warned illegal immigrants living in government-funded housing in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that under the Trump administration, HUD is prioritizing only Americans.
“Those who are here illegally, living in HUD-funded public housing, we’re putting (them) on notice that this is not acceptable,” Turner told Fox News Digital from Philadelphia, where he was touring the city’s recent HUD successes and meeting with local housing and business leaders. “We will not have it anymore,”
“At HUD, we only serve one out of four Americans that we should be serving, and that has to come to an end,” Mr. Turner said. “And so we’re not only making it a priority, but we are making that our only priority, that American citizens will benefit from hard-working American taxpayer dollars.”
The HUD secretary has been on an immigration crusade, collaborating with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to form a new interagency initiative to ensure that federal housing funds do not go to illegal immigrants.
The two Trump officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday, solidifying their partnership in their efforts to end “wasteful misappropriation” of taxpayer-funded public housing resources that previously benefited illegal immigrants who flooded the country during the Biden administration.
“American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation’s housing crisis,” Turner told reporters Monday.
“This new agreement will use resources, including technology and personnel, to ensure that the American people are the top priority when it comes to public housing. We will continue to work closely with DHS to maximize our resources and prioritize American citizens.”
Turner announced on Wednesday that his department would no longer offer taxpayer-backed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages to illegal immigrants. Turner stated after announcing the change that HUD-backed mortgages should benefit Americans “who play by the rules and work hard, not those who enter our country illegally.”
Turner told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the Biden administration implemented “harmful” immigration policies that exacerbated homelessness in the United States and prioritized illegal immigrants over US citizens seeking housing.
“We have a homelessness and we have a housing affordability crisis,” he stated.” “The Biden administration’s border security and immigration policies were extremely harmful and irresponsible. “They prioritized illegal aliens over American citizens.”
Turner told Fox News Digital that “government is not the answer” to issues such as America’s housing crisis, homelessness, drug addiction, and crime, but that it should instead work as a “partner” with the private sector, faith-based programs, and nonprofits.
“Homelessness is a big deal in our country,” he informed me. “It increased by 18% in the last year—over 770,000 people were homeless on a single night in January 2024, which is unacceptable. Despite record funding from HUD, our country continues to face a homelessness crisis.
“Public-private partnerships are vital to eradicating homelessness,” he said later. “We need to collaborate with faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations that do the work every day.
The federal government isn’t the solution. The federal government is a great partner and facilitator. However, it is the private sector, faith-based organizations, and non-profits that are doing the day-to-day work.
Turner cited crime, drug use, and illegal immigration as factors contributing to the United States’ housing crisis.
Turner traveled to Philadelphia on Thursday to visit “Opportunity Zones” there. HUD’s Opportunity Zones are economically distressed areas across the country that encourage investment and economic development through federal tax breaks for investors.
Previously, the HUD secretary was the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during the first Trump administration, and he led the Opportunity Zones Initiative to revitalize economically distressed areas with affordable housing and the launch of new businesses, such as the establishment of grocery stores in food deserts common in inner cities.
