Julián Castro, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during the second term of the Obama administration, has come out against a Trump administration policy denying federal housing assistance to households that include illegal immigrants.
In a USA Today op-ed, Castro argued, “HUD’s mission is to create affordable housing opportunities for all, not burden families with a cruel choice: Stay together and risk losing housing assistance or even face eviction, or throw family members out on the street to keep a roof over their heads.”
Castro claimed the Trump administration’s rule would “scapegoat immigrants” by evicting nearly 80,000 people from public housing, including an estimated 37,000 children who are US citizens. He added 86% of people living in households with mixed immigration status are Hispanic, with the rule having a disproportionate impact on states including California that have a high percentage of mixed-status households.
“Keeping families together – and housing them in a safe and affordable home – was my top priority at HUD, and research has shown that the work of the agency has mattered over the years,” Castro wrote. “When the government can support a family in securing a stable home, poverty drops, children do better in school and working people have a shot at the American dream.”
Castro, who unsuccessfully sought the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination, also claimed that illegal immigrants would not be the only ones impacted.
“American citizens, too, would become collateral damage,” he continued. “Over 21 million people do not have citizenship documents readily available, such as a passport or birth certificate, risking their housing assistance despite being eligible.”
Furthermore, Castro observed, “As the nation prepares for the 2030 Census, the decennial act that aims to count every person in every household in the nation, pushing families into homelessness will negatively impact the count, with serious federal funding implications for every community across the nation.”
Photo courtesy of Julián Castro’s Instagram page
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