The Lending Scheme That Gave Rise To Colony Ridge Is Happening All Across America

The same financial scheme that allowed Texas developers to profit off untold numbers of illegal aliens by selling them American homes is now being employed by lenders all across the country.

In the absence of a Social Security number, many illegal aliens have discovered a widely available form of identification from the IRS that can give them access to lenders all across the country, far beyond Colony Ridge.

Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), introduced in 1996, enable the IRS to process taxes for individuals who don’t have a Social Security number. They’ve since been heralded by one far-left, Soros-backed group as a “powerful tool” for illegal aliens, who can use the IRS-issued identification to buy their own slice of America, whether in a development like Colony Ridge or a residential neighborhood.

The financial loophole has allowed for the creation of an entire industry that markets and caters to illegal aliens looking to cement their presence in the United States by securing a mortgage and buying a home. The loophole provides fuel for the growth of places like Colony Ridge, which now hopes to reach a population of 250,000. As The Daily Wire previously reported, with the influx of illegal immigrants, Colony Ridge has become a hub for criminal activity and drug trafficking and has been called home by cartel members, drug runners, human smugglers, and wanted murderers.

The Daily Wire spotlighted specific lenders catering to illegal aliens, not by creating massive developments like Colony Ridge, but simply by advertising mortgage loans to illegal aliens looking to buy American homes.

One Pennsylvania-based company, highlighted by The Daily Wire, sought to “empower non-citizens” through its lending practices. The company, named Amres, even told the stories of illegal aliens who successfully used ITIN documents to get mortgage loans.

There’s also a Connecticut lender that operates in Texas, Florida, and four other states. That company, Prysma Lending Group, distributed a guide to prevent deportation and even hosted a conversation with an immigration lawyer.

WATCH: A mortgage lending company admitted that its loans are targeted at illegal aliens — and even created a guide for illegals on avoiding deportation.

While Americans struggle to buy homes, Prysma Lending is selling out our country to illegal aliens one home at a time.🧵 pic.twitter.com/E9n1bql7bi

— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) May 28, 2025

Then there’s Cayetano, a development company highlighted by The Daily Wire that tells foreign nationals to “own a piece of American land,” in Texas along the border with Mexico. The company owns multiple developments across Texas and accepts Mexican consulate cards as valid forms of identification, all while mimicking Colony Ridge with marketing tactics that appeared tailored to illegal aliens.

Amres, Prysma, and Cayetano, each of which has previously been the subject of Daily Wire investigations, are just isolated examples of a broader trend, with a slate of companies across the country advertising home loans to illegal aliens.

There’s also Novus Home Mortgage, a division of a Wisconsin-based bank that says ITIN lending is open to those without a social security number, “including both legal residents and undocumented immigrants.”

Florida-based company AD Mortgage, which operates in 48 states, similarly appeals to illegal aliens on its site. Among those who qualify for ITIN loans, AD Mortgage says, are “immigrants, including undocumented individuals.”

Defy Mortgage explains that it “provides comprehensive mortgage solutions tailored to non-US citizens.” Defy Mortgage specifically highlights that illegal aliens are eligible to receive ITINs. The company’s site goes on to say that those who can get an ITIN include “non-resident aliens, undocumented immigrants, and dependents who cannot get an SSN.”

ITIN lending, immigration experts say, provides another incentive for illegal aliens to remain in the United States.

“Access to mortgages can serve as an incentive for illegal aliens to remain in the country, especially at a time when the goal of the government is convincing illegal aliens to leave,” Ira Mehlman, the Media Director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, previously told The Daily Wire. He added that Congress could take action to establish a national standard for lending, or even consider prohibiting mortgage lending to individuals without legal residency in the United States. 

Some companies appear to have noticed that ITIN lending could become increasingly risky under the Trump administration, both because of mass deportations and the potential introduction of new regulations.

Tricolor Holdings, which specializes in auto lending, said that it serves “credit [to] invisible Hispanics” and boasted in one 2023 report that 69% of its customers were “undocumented,” a conclusion it reached after assessing the percentage of borrowers that didn’t use a social security number.

A representative of Tricolor Holdings told The Daily Wire that it has shifted its focus. “Due to the current environment, Tricolor shifted its focus from the no FICO borrower to a general market profile,” the representative said.

There is further indication that the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies could be having a chilling effect on ITIN lending.

One lender at JVN Lending, based in Walnut Creek, California, reports that she has noticed a decrease in the number of ITIN borrowers this year. That company boasts on its site that there is “no visa required” and “no social security number required” for borrowers of ITIN loans.

While it may take congressional action to truly confront the industry, increased enforcement could prompt ITIN lenders to reassess the risk profile of their financial strategies. The Department of Homeland Security and the IRS signed an agreement allowing the federal law enforcement agency to receive information on taxpayers who are believed to be illegal aliens.

If illegal aliens know that filing for an ITIN might get their name and identifying information lodged in an ICE database, they may be much less eager to hand over their information to the federal government. 

Novus Home Mortgage, AD Mortgage, and Defy Mortgage did not respond to a request for comment.