End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act

S. 5259 would change how federal housing programs treat immigration status. It amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to bar "sanctuary jurisdictions" — states or localities with laws or policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration information-sharing or detainer requests — from receiving Community Development Block Grants, with an exception preserving policies that protect crime victims or witnesses who come forward. Separately, it amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 to tighten the "mixed-status household" rule: housing assistance could no longer be prorated for a family until the immigration eligibility of every family member, regardless of age, is affirmatively verified. It also makes verification of citizenship or eligible immigration status mandatory (changing "may" to "shall") for public housing agencies before providing financial assistance, and expands the categories of housing programs subject to these noncitizen eligibility restrictions.

The bill affects state and local governments that receive CDBG funds, public housing agencies administering federal rental assistance, and mixed-status households (families that include both eligible and ineligible members) applying for or receiving subsidized housing.

S. 5259 was introduced in the Senate on August 5, 2026, by Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), read twice, and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It would need to be reported out of committee, pass the Senate and House, and be signed by the President to become law; no further action has occurred since introduction.

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