Reps. Aguilar and Vargas Commend HUD for Making DACA Recipients Eligible for FHA Loans
This week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program beneficiaries are eligible for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), reversing a Trump Administration policy that made DACA recipients ineligible for the program.
The decision comes after Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and Juan Vargas (CA-51) led several efforts urging Secretary Ben Carson and HUD to reverse the original interpretation of policy and reaffirm DACA recipients, or Dreamers, as eligible participants. Their efforts to overturn the Trump Administration’s policy change included a letter co-authored with Senator Bob Menendez that directed to HUD’s Inspector General to open an investigation into whether the agency violated the Administrative Procedure Act in their decision to deny FHA insured loans to DACA recipients.
“Dreamers have established their lives here and deserve the chance to buy a home like every other American. The Trump Administration’s policy of denying DACA recipients FHA loans was a shameful and discriminatory excuse to further advance Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. Now, under the leadership of the Biden Administration, HUD is doing the right thing by recognizing that Dreamers deserve access to this critical resource and the dream of homeownership,” said Aguilar.
“Dreamers are working, tax-paying Americans and have every right to own a home. For years, I have been urging Secretary Ben Carson to reverse HUD’s newfound interpretation of policy—which had changed to block DACA recipients’ access to FHA loans under the Trump administration–and reaffirm DACA beneficiaries’ eligibility to apply for FHA mortgages,” said Rep. Vargas. “I’m pleased to see that HUD has rightfully extended this eligibility to our Dreamers.”
Both Reps. Aguilar and Vargas are Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Aguilar serves as the Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Vargas serves on the Financial Services Committee.
