Democratic lawmakers in California may pass legislation this week to make California the first state to allow illegal immigrants to be eligible for up to $150,000 in state-supported home loans.
According to Politico, California’s Democratic supermajority is expected to pass the legislation this week, which would make illegal immigrants eligible for the “California Dream for All” loan program, which is sponsored by the state and offers individuals up to $150,000 in down payment assistance. Applicants for the program are required to be first-time homebuyers and have to meet income level requirements that differ depending on an individual’s county of residence.
According to Politico, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) has refused to say whether he will sign the legislation if it is approved by the August 31 deadline. A Newsom spokesperson told Fox News that the governor “doesn’t typically comment on pending legislation.” The spokesperson added, “If the bill reaches his desk, the Governor will evaluate it on its merits.”
In a statement to Politico, Trump campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the California legislation as “fundamentally unfair but typical Democrat policy.”
READ MORE: Pics: Non-citizen homebuyers given $30,000 by taxpayer-funded group in blue state
The bill has also faced criticism from Republican lawmakers in California. According to Politico, Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Calif.) previously pushed back against the bill, saying that he “just can’t get behind using our limited dollars for people who are in this country undocumented.”
On the other hand, Democratic lawmakers have argued that the legislation is intended to allow illegal immigrants in the state to receive the same benefits as other state residents. “It isn’t given out willy nilly to just anybody,” Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Calif.) said during a hearing in June.
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Calif.), who authored the controversial bill, has claimed that the legislation would still require applicants to have a valid Social Security number and taxpayer identification to apply for loan assistance.
Arambula told Politico, “We simply wanted to be as inclusive as possible within our policies so that all who are paying taxes here in our state were able to qualify.”
In a post on social media, Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, shared a video of a young man slamming Newsom for allowing California’s Senate Appropriations Committee to pass a proposal offering illegal immigrants down payment assistance and ignoring “hardworking Californians.” The video also shows Newsom telling people not to “lecture” with him since he is a “border state governor.”
“California taxpayers may soon be paying for illegal immigrants’ down payments on homes,” Rugg tweeted alongside the video. He added that if Newsom signs the bill, “he will effectively be encouraging illegals to come to California.”
