Dear John,

Time is running out to oppose yet another attack on immigrant families — Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson’s proposal to kick “mixed-status” families out of federally subsidized housing. If the rule is finalized, hundreds of thousands of families will have to choose between staying together or keeping a roof over their heads.

We cannot let the Trump administration get away with this.

“Mixed-status” families include any family where one or more members is ineligible for housing assistance due to their immigration status. For example, a family of four with one parent who is a legal permanent resident, one parent who is a TPS recipient (and therefore ineligible for HUD assistance), and two children who are U.S. citizens.

The administration claims that this new policy is intended to shorten housing waitlists, but by their own estimation, implementing this rule will cost $372 million and decrease the quality and quantity of housing. It will also:

• Evict 100,000+ people — more than half of whom are women and girls — during a housing crisis;
• Jeopardize housing for 25,000 mixed-status immigrant families, including about 61,400 women and girls;
• Put more than 56,000 children at risk of homelessness; and
• Create unnecessary red tape that would threaten the housing security of the 9.5 million people currently receiving HUD assistance, including over 5.9 million women and girls.

Families shouldn’t have to decide between housing and staying together. Join us by submitting a public comment opposing HUD’s proposed rule.

Families belong together, no matter their immigration status. It’s time for the Trump administration to take the housing crisis seriously and stop trying to separate immigrant families.

Sincerely,