In April 2019, Housing and Urban Development Sec., Ben Carson, went in front of Legislators to try to debunk Reports that the Trump Administration had been Denying Government-Insured Home Loans to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients, claiming: “No one was aware of any changes that had been made to the policy whatsoever. I’m sure we have plenty of DACA recipients who have [Federal Housing Administration]-backed loans.”
Appearing before Congress in 2019, Carson pushed back on a Report, claiming: “I asked around after I read that story,” and at the time that Carson “added that it would ‘surprise’ him if DACA recipients were being turned down.”
That was a Lie.
Current Reports that Emails obtained by Watchdog Group, Democracy Forward, through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA Request) show HUD “made a specific internal decision by August 2018” to Block DACA Recipients from these Loans. “That decision was communicated to staff during an internal credit policy conference call on Aug. 30, 2018,” the Report said.
The newly obtained Emails show that HUD Officials were telling Lenders Not to Approve FHA-backed Loans from at least early 2018, and that they had made a Specific Decision by that August to use an Employment Authorization Category that Only applies to DACA Recipients to Justify Excluding them, though it’s Not Clear why that Category was considered Disqualifying.
This isn’t the First Time Administration Officials have made a Deliberate Decision to Single-Out DACA Recipients.
Earlier this year, Education Sec. Betsy DeVos, Blocked DACA Recipients and other Undocumented Students from billions in Emergency Funds that the Department received to Assist Students with Expenses Ranging from Child Care to Housing during the Coronavirus Pandemic. In Letters calling on her to Reverse the Move, Legislators said there was Nothing in the Law that Blocked them from Relief, writing it in fact “establishes broad flexibility to each institution of higher education to meet the unique needs of their students.”
So far, there Appears to be No Response from Carson or other HUD Officials on this latest Report. Democracy Forward is expected to Issue a Letter calling for HUD Inspector General, Rae Oliver Davis, to Open an Investigation into whether the Agency Violated Federal Law by Changing its Policy without allowing for a Public Notice and Comment Period and by Failing to Disclose the Change to Congress and the Public.
There should also be a New Investigation into Carson’s Claims before Congress.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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