Jasper Packard: “illegal aliens should not be rewarded with taxpayer dollars. When we passed immigration reform legislation last year, I…”

“illegal aliens should not be rewarded with taxpayer dollars. When we passed immigration reform legislation last year, I thought that this was made crystal clear. Imagine my astonishment when I read in the San Diego Union-Tribune that an undocumented, unemployed, mother of 10 was handed $12,000 in relocation assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]. This woman was living in my district when HUD selected her apartment building in Oceanside, CA, to be transformed into a low-income AIDS patient housing project. Under provisions of the Uniform Relocation Act, HUD was required, like every other Federal agency, to either provide alternative housing for displaced residents or grant direct funding to residents relocating on their own. Mr. Speaker, many of those displaced by the project were moved into section 8 housing and received an average of $400 in Federal rent subsidies. However, because the Uniform Relocation Act does not consider citizenship status when doling out relocation assistance, this undocumented woman received $12,000 simply because she was residing in this country illegally. When the Government goes out of its way to hand out free money to illegal aliens, it should be no surprise that our Nation continues to suffer from the devastating effects of illegal immigration. We have no right to expect our citizens to foot the bill when the Federal Government blatantly defies the American taxpayer. I will not let that continue.”