Republican leaders in Michigan are raising concerns about a new program established by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration that hands out up to $500 a month to refugees and migrants, whom many on the Left are now calling “newcomers.” The GOP lawmakers said the program could be helping people who entered the country illegally pay for housing in the state.
The “Michigan Newcomer Rental Subsidy Program” was launched last year by the Office of Global Michigan (OGM), which is partnering with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). The program’s website says it offers assistance to refugees asylees, Special Immigration Visa (SIV), victims of human trafficking, Cuban and Haitian entrants, Afghan Nationals, and Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees.
Republican state leaders say that illegal immigrants facing deportation proceedings could potentially benefit from the program. Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall and state Rep. Joe Aragona, the Republican vice chair of the Housing Subcommittee, wrote a letter to OGM Director Poppy Sias-Hernandez earlier this week, requesting more information on what the housing subsidy program entails and who is receiving the state funds.
“Gretchen Whitmer’s rent subsidy program makes handouts available to illegals who were caught in the country and then frantically claimed asylum to avoid deportation,” Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall said in a statement to The Daily Wire. “The Whitmer administration must come clean about this dubious program to the taxpayers who are paying for it. Michiganders shouldn’t have their dollars taken to reward those who broke our immigration laws.”
The Daily Wire has reached out to Whitmer’s office for comment.
Migrants who cross the border illegally are often considered “asylum seekers” after filing defensive claims upon entering the U.S. In fiscal year 2023 alone, over 474,000 defensive claims were filed, and there are currently over one million claims pending, according to the Justice Department.
The Michigan Republicans’ concerns about the rental subsidy program were heightened when an illegal immigrant, who had been deported in 2020, re-entered the country and was arrested earlier this week for allegedly murdering a 25-year-old woman in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed in a statement to The Daily Wire on Tuesday that Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, re-entered the U.S. unlawfully “at an unknown date … without inspection by an immigration official.” He was arrested after Ruby Garcia was found dead last Friday on the side of a road from apparent gunshot wounds.
To qualify for rental assistance, applicants must be at or below 60% of Area Median Income, receive federal assistance, and be “experiencing housing instability,” according to OGM. Those accepted into the program can receive monthly help with housing, ranging from $300 for an individual up to $500 for a family of six or more.
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MSHDA says those receiving assistance must show all available documentation of “earned and unearned income for household members that live in the same household that are age 18 or older.” Income can still be verified, however, as long as the enrollee submits a written explanation of why there is no documentation, such as being paid in cash.
House Republican Leader Hall told The Daily Wire that the program could benefit “those who broke into our borders.”
“Americans watch with horror as Democrats respond with carelessness to our border crisis — a humanitarian disaster that resulted in a murder right here in Michigan,” Hall said. “Joe Biden refuses to secure the border and faithfully execute our laws. Gretchen Whitmer is offering taxpayer-funded benefits to those who broke into our borders. Sanctuary cities and counties shield illegals from immigration officials. These politicians must stop aiding and abetting illegal aliens and get serious about securing our border and keeping people safe.”