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Oh, Look! JD Vance Accuses Harris of Playing 'Undocumented Santa' with $25k Home Giveaways

Oh, brilliant! Because who needs social services when you're too busy not having a Social Security number? Way to prioritize, Uncle Sam!

Published August 23, 2024 at 5:06am by

JD Vance

Statement: “Kamala Harris wants to give $25,000 to illegal aliens to buy American homes.”

Oh, look who's back with more totally not xenophobic rants—it's Sen. JD Vance, the Ohio Republican who must’ve thought X (formerly Twitter) was his personal playground.

"Kamala Harris wants to give $25,000 to illegal aliens to buy American homes," Vance wrote on Aug. 16, because apparently, keeping up with baseless accusations is so 2024. "This will only further exacerbate the housing shortage in our country. It's a disgrace. We should be making it easier and more affordable for American citizens to buy homes."

The Vance campaign joyfully pointed PolitiFact to Harris’ newly announced proposal that would provide up to $25,000 for first-time homebuyers toward a down payment. Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, debuted the plan at an Aug. 16 campaign rally in North Carolina.

What is Harris’ down payment assistance proposal?

In classic politician fashion, Harris didn’t dive into the nitty-gritty, but here’s the gist:

"As the Harris-Walz plan starts to expand the supply of entry-level homes," the campaign said, "they will, during their first term, provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners."

Harris also mentioned the proposal at the rally but kept the fine print to herself.

"We also know that as the cost of housing has gone up, the size of down payments have gone up as well," she said. "Even if aspiring homeowners save for years, it often still is not enough. So, in addition, while we work on the housing shortage, my administration will provide first-time homebuyers with $25,000 to help with the down payment on a new home."

The nitty-gritty (or lack thereof) of Harris’ plan

Harris’ plan builds on a similar Biden administration proposal in March, which mentions up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers whose parents didn't own homes. Under Harris’ plan, even those with homeowner parents would be eligible.

In March, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and six Democratic co-sponsors, introduced legislation that would provide up to $20,000 federal grants for certain home purchase expenses, including down payments and closing costs.

Why did Vance claim an immigrant in the country illegally could qualify?

The Vance campaign said migrants who entered the U.S. illegally under the Biden-Harris administration might qualify for Harris’ down payment assistance proposal over time.

For example, the Vance campaign told us that migrants awaiting asylum claims can be issued work permits and Social Security numbers. Typically, only noncitizens authorized to work in the U.S. by DHS can get an SSN.

According to a 2023 Congressional Research Service report, migrants without authorization are usually ineligible for employment authorization or a work-authorized Social Security number. The SSA can issue SSNs that aren’t valid for employment to some noncitizens not authorized to work in the U.S. if a federal law requires it for a benefit or service.

Most unauthorized immigrants are ineligible for federal programs like HUD housing.

PolitiFact's ruling

Vance said, "Harris wants to give $25,000 to illegal aliens to buy American homes."

The GOP vice presidential nominee is filling in blanks about a proposal that we know little about. Harris pledged to provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years with $25,000 in down payment assistance without detailing who would qualify.

The Vance campaign argued that migrants could get SSNs that might qualify them for down payment assistance. But typically, SSNs are given only to noncitizens authorized to work in the U.S.

Having seen no specific details from Vance’s team that demonstrate Harris’ proposal would benefit immigrants in the country illegally, we rate his claim False.

PolitiFact Staff Writer Maria Ramirez Uribe and Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

Our sources

Read more: JD Vance falsely claims that Harris wants to give undocumented immigrants $25k for homes