Bill · S. 5259· Senate(119-S-5259)
End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act
A bill to prohibit sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving community development block grants, and for other purposes.
- Introduced
- 8/5/2026
- Last activity
- 8/5/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Bill Hagerty
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act," aims to change how housing assistance and community grants are distributed. It prohibits "sanctuary jurisdictions" from receiving community development block grants. A sanctuary jurisdiction is defined as a state or political subdivision that restricts sharing citizenship or immigration status information or refuses to comply with certain Department of Homeland Security requests. Additionally, the bill changes rules for housing assistance to ensure eligibility is established for all family members before funds are provided. Finally, it restricts the eligibility of certain noncitizens for various housing programs.
Yes
Does this give the federal government more power?+5
The bill expands federal control over how local jurisdictions receive community development grants.
The opposite· 3 of 9
Would immigrants be better off under this?-8
The bill directly restricts housing assistance eligibility and financial aid for non-citizens.
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?-7
The bill specifically targets non-citizens, a group that disproportionately includes Hispanic-origin residents.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?-6
The bill restricts access to crucial housing assistance programs for many low-income, non-citizen residents.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Protection for Victims and Witnesses: Under Section 2, a state or political subdivision is not considered a sanctuary jurisdiction if its officials refuse to comply with a detainer for an individual who comes forward as a victim or a witness to a criminal offense. (Section 2)
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Loss of Community Development Grants: Jurisdictions that follow sanctuary policies—specifically those that restrict sharing immigration status information or decline certain Department of Homeland Security requests—will be ineligible to receive community development block grants. (Section 2)
- Changes to Housing Assistance Payments: For families where some members are eligible and others are not, the Secretary is prohibited from providing financial assistance on a prorated basis until eligibility is established for every member of the family, regardless of age. (Section 3)
- Increased Verification Requirements: Public housing agencies are required to affirmatively establish and verify citizenship before providing financial assistance. (Section 4)
- Restricted Housing Program Access: The bill expands the scope of programs that certain noncitizens may be restricted from accessing. (Section 5)
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Immigrants-8Good For Hispanic Americans-7Good For Low Income Households-6Good For Urban Residents-5Good For Children-4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Affordable Housing-6Improves Poverty Reduction-5Reduces Homelessness-4
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+5Increase States Rights-5
- 9/17/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/5/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Introduced in Senate
Bernie MorenoRepublican · Ohio