CA AG Bonta says HUD grant recipients don’t have to verify immigration status

California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a legal alert aimed at state and local agencies that receive HUD funding. The alert focuses on whether those agencies must verify a person’s immigration status as a condition of receiving or using HUD grant money.

According to the announcement, the attorney general’s position is that immigration status verification is not a requirement for HUD grant recipients. The alert is meant to clarify how agencies should handle immigration-related questions when administering programs tied to HUD grants.

The practical impact is that agencies should not treat immigration status checks as something they must do to participate in or carry out HUD-funded activities. That clarification is especially relevant for local housing and community programs that serve residents regardless of immigration status.

The attorney general also framed the alert as a legal guidance document for government entities. Agencies may want to review their current intake and eligibility processes to ensure they align with the alert’s guidance.

For the most accurate details, readers should consult the official legal alert linked by the attorney general’s office, since the announcement is a summary of the guidance and may not include every program-specific nuance.