Democrats and housing advocates say a new data-sharing agreement between the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Homeland Security is not just inappropriate, but potentially dangerous.
“This memo turns HUD into an arm of DHS. We should not be turning housing programs into surveillance programs,” Rep. Nydia Velázquez told NOTUS this week. “That is not what these resources are for.”
The secretaries of HUD and DHS signed a memo on camera earlier this week meant to facilitate data sharing and “ensure taxpayer-funded housing programs are not used to harbor or benefit illegal aliens.” The housing agency also called for federally funded homeless shelters to restrict access to noncitizens, and instructed mortgage lenders to remove its sections on non-permanent residents entirely.