Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner says illegal immigration drove up housing costs — and the Trump administration is cracking down to bring prices down for American families.
Speaking exclusively with Fox News Digital from the Great American State Fair on Thursday, Turner laid out the administration’s housing agenda: cut regulations, increase supply, and reverse the affordability crisis caused by Joe Biden’s open border.
“When we first came in with President Trump, we had open borders. We had tens of millions of illegals in our country,” Turner said, arguing that the surge in unauthorized immigration created housing demand that drove up costs for citizens.
“Here in America, we prioritize American people and American people only. American houses are for American people.”
Republicans have argued their agenda will bring down home prices and rents by cutting regulations, increasing housing supply, and cracking down on illegal immigration.
Turner’s claims are backed by data. A recent Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas working paper found that every 1% increase in unauthorized immigrant workers was associated with a roughly 2.2% increase in home prices and a 1.4% increase in rents.
The HUD secretary said the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is a key part of the president’s broader effort to reduce costs for American families amid an ongoing affordability crisis.
Turner pointed to two executive orders Trump signed that together work to remove regulatory barriers to affordable housing construction, expand access to mortgage credit, and increase housing supply.
The administration is also rolling back what Turner called “bureaucratic red tape” put in place under the Biden administration to lower construction costs and spur more homebuilding.
“That’s what we’re doing now, we are easing the regulatory environment, bringing the cost down, raising the supply so builders can build and homeowners can buy,” Turner said.
Asked when Americans can expect to see lower housing costs, Turner pushed back on the idea that housing affordability isn’t a priority for the administration.
“I think there is a misperception that this is not a priority. It is of the utmost priority,” Turner said, describing the administration’s efforts as already underway to make homeownership more affordable for American families.
