Claim: A super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump, MAGA Inc., is running an ad claiming that President Joe Biden is paying rent for illegal immigrants.
Reasoning: The Michigan Newcomer Rental Subsidy Program, which is the focus of the claim, provides rental assistance to refugees and other qualifying immigrants who are legally in the U.S. The program is funded with federal money, including a grant from the Office of Refugee Resettlement and funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. As of April, data from the state agency running the program shows that all beneficiaries had a legal immigration status, with over 80% being refugees or Afghan nationals under the Operation Allies Welcome program.
The ad misrepresents the program by suggesting it pays rent to illegal immigrants. However, the program’s eligibility criteria clearly state that only individuals who are in the country legally, as determined by the federal government, are eligible for assistance. This includes refugees, asylum grantees, special immigration visa holders, victims of human trafficking, certain citizens of Cuba and Haiti, Afghan nationals, and humanitarian parolees from Ukraine.
Furthermore, the claim that humanitarian parolees are “illegals” is incorrect. Although they may be inadmissible under standard immigration law, they have been authorized by federal authorities to reside in the U.S. for a fixed period for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, making them legally present in the country.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction. The claim that President Biden is paying rent for illegal immigrants is not supported by the facts. The Michigan Newcomer Rental Subsidy Program assists individuals who are in the U.S. legally, and there is no evidence to suggest that unauthorized immigrants are benefiting from the program.
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