California could soon become the first state in the U.S. to offer illegal immigrants taxpayer-funded loans of up to $150,000. This initiative comes amid the ongoing border crisis under the Biden-Harris administration and California’s lenient approach to immigration enforcement.
California Democrats in the state legislature are poised to pass Assembly Bill 1840, which aims to expand the “California Dream for All” program. The bill would rename the program to the Home Purchase Assistance Program, allowing illegal immigrants to receive up to 20% of a home down payment, capped at $150,000, according to a report by Fox News.
This isn’t the only state providing assistance to illegal immigrants. In Oregon, taxpayers are also funding direct grants to help illegal immigrants with down payments for homes. In California, the program requires that participants be first-time homebuyers, with at least one applicant being a first-generation homebuyer.
The bill is being advanced as the 2024 presidential election approaches, following nearly four years of an open southern border policy under the Biden-Harris administration, which has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to enter the U.S.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prominent supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, has remained vague about his stance on the bill. When asked if he would sign the legislation should it pass the assembly, a spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital that the governor “doesn’t typically comment on pending legislation” and would evaluate the bill “on its merits” if it reached his desk.
The Trump campaign criticized the bill, calling it “fundamentally unfair but typical Democrat policy,” even as California Democrats have defended it. Democratic Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes argued that the bill is designed to provide noncitizens with the same rights as citizens and that loan approval “isn’t given out willy-nilly to just anybody.”
Vice President Kamala Harris has also addressed housing issues, proposing a massive federally financed housing project that includes a $25,000 grant for first-time homebuyers. Her proposal led to “Kamunism” trending on social media platform X.
Democratic Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, who is sponsoring the bill, suggested that the bill is necessary to ensure inclusivity. He noted that applicants must have a Social Security number to qualify. “We simply wanted to be as inclusive as possible within our policies so that all who are paying taxes here in our state were able to qualify,” Arambula told Politico. The Trump campaign’s opposition to the bill remained unchanged despite this explanation.