Senator J.D. Vance (R) of Ohio submitted a new law this week that would deny federal housing help to sanctuary cities.
The proposed legislation, known as the “No Community Development Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act,” would amend the Housing Development Act of 1974 to forbid sanctuary jurisdictions from being eligible to receive Community Development Block Grants.
Vance is proposing the bill in the wake of other high-profile cases involving alleged illegal immigration, including the murder of Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley last month while jogging near the University of Georgia.
“Our government provides hundreds of millions of dollars in federal housing subsidies to sanctuary cities each year. Those funds are now in jeopardy,” Vance said in a statement to FOX Business. “This bill ensures that local officials who jeopardize America’s border security will no longer receive these federal housing funds.”
Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty presents the plan with Ohio Senator Jim Vance, who is on the powerful Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.
“Hagerty feels that localities that facilitate illegal immigration shouldn’t obtain federal housing help,” Hagerty stated to FOX Business. “This proposal, which prohibits public funds from flowing to sanctuary cities that flout the law, has my happy support.”
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), “provides yearly funding on a formula basis to states and counties to establish successful urban communities by delivering good housing and a suitable living environment.”
Local authorities like this program and frequently use the funds for their communities’ low- and moderate-income citizens.
That same week, President Biden unveiled his proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which included $400 million in formula award funding cutbacks for the CDBG program, for a total of $2.9 billion, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition on Tuesday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has documented well over a million migrant encounters since October 1st, when Fiscal Year 2024 began. As the migrant situation has worsened, sanctuary towns have become a hot topic in political discourse.
Over 100,000 people have requested refuge in New York City, officials said, drawing attention to this issue.
New York City has been a sanctuary city since 1989, when previous mayor Ed Koch issued an executive order establishing the designation.
As the city struggles to manage the influx of newcomers, criticism of that strategy is growing at the moment.
“Last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams advocated for at least some adjustments to the sanctuary city statute, saying that if you commit a criminal, a violent act, we should be able to turn you over to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and have you deported.”
In response to such comments, fellow New Yorker Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, told the Washington Times that “he’s not just trying to tweak [the law] a little bit.” I reject the idea that someone may be deported just on the basis of an accusation since a conviction and due process call for a different approach.”
In response to a query on NYC’s sanctuary status, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., offered his thoughts on the subject, telling ABC that “the border and the countries that individuals are fleeing have to be the locations of this solution.” Since it is not in the best interests of our country to compel immigrants to live in hiding when they arrive, the border ought to be the first priority.”