HUD Secretary Ben Carson defends plan to evict undocumented immigrants: ‘It’s not that we’re cruel, mean-hearted. It’s that we are logical.’

By Tracy Jan May 21 at 12:06 PM

HUD Secretary Ben Carson on Tuesday defended the Trump administration’s proposal to purge undocumented immigrants — and their U.S.-born children — from government-subsidized housing, citing the years-long waiting list comprised of millions of "legal citizens.”

“It seems only logical that tax-paying American citizens should be taken care of first," Carson said. “It’s not that we’re cruel, mean-hearted. It’s that we are logical. This is common sense. You take care of your own first.”

Democratic lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee expressed concern about the plan, citing an internal agency analysis that found it could put up to 55,000 children who are legal U.S. residents or citizens at risk of eviction and homelessness.

Carson urged Congress to come up with a comprehensive plan for immigration reform.

“If you read the rule carefully, you will see it provides a six-month deferral if they have not found another place to live,” Carson told the oversight committee. The deferral could be renewed twice, for a total of 18 months -- “enough time for Congress to engage in comprehensive immigration reform."

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