A recent video posted to the social media platform X by Congressman Brandon Gil in which he criticizes the current birthright citizenship rule that grants immediate citizenship to anyone born in the United States. The Texas Congressman writes in the caption, “Birthright citizenship was never meant for people who had no right to be here in the first place.“
Commenters expressed surprise and frustration, arguing that taxpayer-funded mortgage programs should never have been available to individuals living in the country illegally. Others even went so far as to draw comparisons to the 2008 housing crisis.
The video above features Texas Congressman Brandon Gill as he discusses his stance on the current state of birthright citizenship. He is quoted as saying, “If you ask most Americans, ‘Do you believe that an illegal alien who traverses across South America, passes through multiple countries, shows up at our southern border, crosses over and has a child, if that child should be an American citizen? ‘ just like anyone else in our country, I think most people would say no.”
According to Eric Daughterty of Florida’s Voice, Gill “filed a legislation to BAN taxpayer funded mortgages for illegal aliiens — reserving them for citizens only.” This bill came to light on June 29 and is called the Homeownership Eligibility Reform.
According to an interview with Bloomberg Government, the bill details that a mortgager must be a “citizen of the United States” to receive loans, prohibiting “non-permanent” immigrants from being able to obtain FHA loans and even barring some from purchasing and securitizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-backed mortgages made to noncitizens.
Reactions and Comments Towards Brandon Gill’s Legislation
The announcement quickly gained traction online, drawing thousands of views and generating comments from supporters who questioned why the legislation was necessary in the first place, specifically on Eric Daugherty’s post.
Concerning this point of view, one user wrote, “WHY are we giving taxpayer mortgages to ANY immigrant that has not become an US CITIZEN? What happens when the lose their legal immigrant status & goes back home while they still owe on the mortgage? I can tell you what happens- we, the tax paying citizens have to cover the loss!“
Similarly, another user wrote, “Ban mortgages altogether for people in the US illegally. Banking is a privilege for citizens!.”
Others thought that the proposal brought back memories of the financial collapse in 2008, with another person writing, “No W-2s required? Let’s go after the lenders as well! Brings back the memory of our 2008 financial crash due to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac handing out mortgages like lollipops at the bank.“
Whether the measure gains enough support remains to be seen, but the proposal has already reignited a heated argument about immigration, homeownership, and the role of taxpayer-funded housing.
