According to advocates who spoke with City Limits, the memorandum is yet another effort by the Trump administration to target immigrants and doesn’t constitute a basis for eviction.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announcing the “American Housing Programs for American Citizens” memo on March 24, 2025. (YouTube/HUD)

On March 24, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which will create “a point of contact” between the two federal agencies to share data about undocumented immigrants living in government-subsidized housing.

“By working more closely together and with greater collaboration, we will identify illegal aliens who are ineligible for Federal housing assistance and take remedial measures to end this waste and abuse, including referral for immigration enforcement actions,” reads the Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU.

But local officials are so far unsure of what the memo, dubbed “American Housing Programs for American Citizens,” means for their agencies and the city’s sanctuary laws.

Undocumented people are already prohibited from receiving federal housing subsidies directly. Eligibility for federal housing assistance is limited to U.S. citizens and non-citizens with a qualifying immigration status, such as a lawful permanent resident (also known as a “green card” holder), refugee or asylee, among others, according to advocates and the city’s Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD). 

Immigrants who don’t qualify, however, can live in a household that receives a federal subsidy as long as other members of that household qualify, with the amount of aid based on the number of people who are eligible. 

For instance, if an immigrant without legal status is living with U.S born children who qualify, the household would receive a smaller subsidy and pay a higher portion of the rent to take the ineligible family member into account. This is known as prorated support.

“Their assistance is already pro-rated to only cover eligible household members,” the Alliance for Housing Justice, a national advocacy group, said in a statement last week in response to the memo, saying HUD Secretary Scott Turner is “misrepresenting how his agency’s programs actually work.”

“This isn’t about program integrity—it’s about surveillance, fear, and falsely blaming immigrant families for the failures of a housing system that puts profits over everyday people,” the group said.

A HUD spokesperson said that “the purpose of the MOU is to establish information sharing between HUD and DHS to ensure illegal aliens are not in public housing,” but did not elaborate.

According to Anna Luft, project director of the New York Legal Assistance Group’s Public Housing Justice Project, the memorandum applies to all HUD-subsidized housing, including Section 8—also known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides rental assistance to low- and moderate-income families—and public housing authorities that run such programs.

In New York City, there are three major public housing authorities: The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which administers a Section 8 program as well Section 9 public housing developments, HPD, and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), which is part of the the state’s affordable housing agency, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR).

Only HPD said it falls within the scope of the MOU. A NYCHA spokesperson said, “NYCHA is not a party to this MOU,” despite being the largest public housing agency in the city. An HCR spokesperson did not specify what the MOU means for its programs, only saying that “as we continue to monitor the impact of these actions, Governor Hochul is fighting to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all New Yorkers.”

According to advocates who spoke with City Limits, the memorandum is yet another effort by the Trump administration to target immigrants and doesn’t constitute a basis for eviction. Even before the election, Donald Trump was on the campaign trail blaming immigrants for the “housing crisis” and the “rising housing costs,” even though economists and researchers disagree.

Like many of Trump’s proposals in his second term so far, this one has roots in his first time in office. In 2019, the Trump administration proposed a policy rule change that would have essentially banned families with mixed immigration statuses from living in public or federally subsidized housing. In 2021, the Biden administration withdrew Trump’s proposed rule, so it was never implemented.

A 2019 HUD regulatory impact analysis estimated that approximately 25,000 households receiving a federal subsidy nationwide had at least one ineligible member.

“Geographically, 72 percent of mixed families are concentrated in three states—California (37 percent), Texas (23 percent), and New York (12 percent)—while the rest is scattered around the country with 3 percent or less mixed families per state,” reads the HUD’s analysis.

An HPD spokesperson reiterated that HUD regulations for federal rental subsidy programs, including Section 8 vouchers, already limit eligibility to households with at least one member who has a qualifying immigration status, with the housing subsidy a household receives prorated based on the number of eligible members.

In NYC, HPD provides rental vouchers, including Section 8, to a total of 42,000 households, a spokesperson detailed. Of those, approximately 5,900 have members with eligible immigrant status, and about 350 Section 8 households are of mixed immigration status.

It’s unclear whether the city’s sanctuary laws, which restrict local agencies from sharing identifying information with federal immigration authorities, might play a role under the new data-sharing agreement and if so, how.

Because households must declare their citizenship and eligible immigration status when applying, HUD already has information on the immigration status of households receiving federal housing benefits, according to HPD, NYCHA, and advocates.

Both HPD and NYCHA must report citizenship status information to HUD, per HUD voucher rules, spokespersons for both agencies explained. HPD added that the actual impact of the MOU will depend on how that information is used by HUD and DHS.

The memorandum details that HUD is devoting just one full-time staffer to this data-sharing effort, to “help stem the tide of illegal immigration in the United States and incentivize illegal aliens to voluntarily depart the country, we enter into this MOU,” it reads.

An HPD spokesperson said HUD hasn’t contacted local agencies about the measure, and since the MOU is very new, its goal right now is to gather information, avoid causing harm or panic, coordinate with partner public housing agencies, and then communicate with clients (though the agency did not provide details on those communication efforts). 

As this is the first time this memorandum of understanding has been in effect, there is a great deal of uncertainty. Advocates recommend that households consult with immigration attorneys for individualized assessments.

“Our advice for people who are concerned and are living in HUD subsidized housing,” Luft said, “is for them to talk to their immigration attorneys and assess what their individual removal risk is and what they should do.”

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Daniel@citylimits.org. To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here.

The post HUD Struck a Data-Sharing Agreement With Immigration Enforcement. What Does it Mean for NYC? appeared first on City Limits.

A Little Canada man has pleaded guilty to strangling a woman who was working as a prostitute in an Eagan hotel room in 2023.

Philip Jedidiah Wong, 27, told police he paid the woman for sex but said he didn’t learn she was dead until someone from her “organization” called and told him, according to the criminal complaint charging him with second-degree intentional murder and first-degree manslaughter.

Philip Jedidiah Wong (Courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)

Wong said he did not believe she was dead and thought it was a scam and they were trying to get more money from him, the complaint says. However, Wong’s roommate told investigators he said he “choked her out” after she tried to blackmail him.

Wong reached an agreement with the prosecution and pleaded guilty last week to second-degree intentional murder. The agreement calls for a downward departure from state sentencing guidelines to between 15 and 20 years in prison. The manslaughter charge will be dismissed at sentencing, which is set for July 22.

Wong entered an Alford plea on the element of intent, meaning he maintains innocence while acknowledging the state likely has enough evidence to convict him.

Wong’s attorney, Adam Johnson, argued in a February court document that the state had no direct evidence establishing that he intended to take the woman’s life. Johnson pointed out that Wong told officers she was alive when he left.

He left his hat behind

According to the complaint, the woman, identified as 53-year-old Jianqin Zhang, was discovered dead Oct. 12, 2023, by a housekeeper and Zhang’s friend at Microtel Inn & Suites, east of Interstate 35E and west of Lexington Avenue.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office found hemorrhaging on Zhang’s neck, along with petechiae — small spots caused by burst blood vessels — on her eyes, mouth, lips and scalp. The cause of death was ruled to be strangulation. She was from Shanghai, China.

A friend told police that Zhang was a sex worker and that she checked on her because the “organization” had not heard from her for a while after meeting with a client. The friend gave police a phone number of the client, later identified as Wong.

Video surveillance from the hotel shows Wong entering the hotel around 2:54 p.m. wearing an Atlanta Falcons hat, and leaving the hotel about an hour later.

Zhang was the only registered guest of the room, which she had reserved from Sept. 30 to Oct. 14. After a search warrant was executed on the room, police found several cellphones, used and unused condoms, a locked wallet, bloody sheets, pill bottles, food, clothing and an Atlanta Falcons hat.

One of the phones belonged to Zhang, and an examination showed a message was sent to the “organization” at 3:39 p.m. in Mandarin. When translated in English, the message said, “walk.” She stopped answering her phone around 3:45 p.m.

Police searched Wong’s apartment and found clothing that appeared to match those he was seen wearing on video surveillance. His cellphone was also seized.

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Wong gave a statement to police, saying he responded to an online ad for a massage and cuddle. He said he met Zhang in her room, paying her $200 for a massage, then another $50 for sex. He said he took a shower before leaving. He realized on his way home that he forgot his hat, but did not go back for it.

Wong’s roommate then told police that he had told her Zhang said she had a hidden camera in the room and wanted more money from him. “In response, (Wong) ‘choked her out,’ but he believed she was still breathing,” the complaint states. “(Wong) then searched the room for the hidden camera, and left when (the victim’s) phone rang.”

In a follow-up interview with police, Wong said he didn’t have anything to add to his earlier statement.

Court records show Wong has no prior criminal convictions, beyond two petty misdemeanor driving offenses.

State officials are voicing concern about the status of energy assistance for low-income Minnesotans after the Trump administration laid off all the staff within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services who administer the federal program.

Minnesota receives more than $100 million every year from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help people pay home heating costs. About 107,000 Minnesota households, including both homeowners and renters, have received help with utility bills this winter.

“It serves Minnesotans who are most vulnerable, and we need to recognize that it’s still winter and there’s still need for heating assistance,” said Pete Wyckoff, deputy commissioner of energy resources at the state Department of Commerce.

Minnesota was scheduled to receive an additional $12 million to $13 million in LIHEAP funds to help another 10,000 households. If that payment is delayed, the program could run out of money by mid-April, Wyckoff said.

“We’ve not gotten notice that it is not going to come, but we have been already a little worried that hasn’t come thus far,” he said. “And with the news that there’s no one home in the office completely, because they were all let go, we are more worried.”

When asked for comment, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responded via email: “HHS will continue to comply with statutory requirements, and as a result of the reorganization, will be better positioned to execute on Congress’ statutory intent.”

The 45-year-old federal program has long had bipartisan support. The assistance goes directly to utilities to pay gas or electricity bills, or to a provider of fuel oil, propane or wood. The program also helps people with emergencies, such as furnace repair or filling empty propane tanks.

About half of those receiving assistance are over 60 years old. About two-thirds live in greater Minnesota, where energy cost burdens tend to be higher.

The assistance is vital to many Minnesota families struggling to pay heating costs, said Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director of the nonprofit Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, which advocates for utility customers.

“It’s become more difficult as people are facing inflation and the high cost of housing, and just costs going up across the household budget,” she said.

About 91,000 Minnesota households had their utility service shut off last year because they didn’t pay their bills, she said.

In a news release, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith called for answers about the firing of the federal workers and its impact on the LIHEAP program.

“Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans are facing severe winter weather right now, and the need for heating assistance is greater than ever,” the Minnesota Democrat stated.

Minnesota’s cold weather rule, which offers residents some protection from having their heat shut off during winter months, expires on April 30.

People who need help paying utility bills should still apply for energy assistance, Wyckoff said.

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Byron Buxton hit a ball just past Astros starter Hunter Brown. By the time the pitcher got off the mound and fielded the ball, he spun around, looked toward first and thought better of throwing the ball.

Not with Buxton running.

Buxton was blazing down the line, nearly at the bag by the time Brown picked up the ball. Two pitches later, Buxton took off for second. Catcher Victor Caratini didn’t even attempt a throw. And on Trevor Larnach’s single, Buxton cruised home from second with the Astros not bothering to try to get Buxton at home because, well, that wasn’t happening, either.

Buxton is off to the races on the bases this season, a sign of how he’s feeling after a full offseason and spring training that was spent healthy, not going through days, weeks and months of rehab like previous seasons.

“(It’s) good to be healthy. When you’re healthy, it gives you that piece of mind to just go out there and play the game, and you want to play and have fun doing it,” Buxton said. “To be able to have that back in the arsenal is obviously fun. It puts a little more pressure on the defense. … That’s my job. Cause a little chaos over there and try to get us that run.”

The Twins have gotten to see all facets of Buxton’s game in the past few days. He hit a home run in Wednesday’s contest, has made some nice defensive plays and has started to cause havoc on the bases with his speed.

And, most importantly, he’s started every game, playing every inning but a few as he was removed early from two games when the Twins were getting blown out.

“He’s moving well. He’s playing aggressively,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “When he’s running the bases like that, he really changes the game for us. … He’s obviously not just explosive — he’s one of the most exciting players in the game.”

Bader making early mark against righties

Harrison Bader knows what the numbers say — he has, historically, hit lefties better than righties. He is a career .239 hitter with a .675 OPS against righthanders.

“But I know the type of player I am,” the Twins outfielder said. “There’s obviously more to it than just pure numbers.”

It’s still early, too early to draw any meaningful conclusions from the sample size, but Bader — who actually hit righties better than lefties last season — has hit three home runs this season, all against righties.

A standout defender in the outfield, Bader has drawn starts in five of the Twins’ first seven games. He should see time in center when Buxton needs a day off and in the corners when there’s a lefty on the mound — both Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach hit left-handed — but continued success against righties would equate to more playing time for the veteran.

“Any time you get a chance to put on a big league uniform and be in a starting lineup, or off the bench, you get a chance to change those numbers and change that preconceived perception,” Bader said. “I know what the numbers are. But I think sticking with the process, staying focused on it and waiting for the game to present itself to me is what allows me to go out and do some damage off righties.”

Briefly

Bailey Ober will be on the bump when the Twins return to action on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. against the Astros. … Saturday’s game will be the first of 12 games in as many days. The Twins do not have another off day until April 17. … The Double-A Wichita Wind Surge began their season on Friday. Twins top prospect, Walker Jenkins, who is among Major League Baseball’s top five prospects, begins his season at that level.

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