On Friday, The Daily Wire posted the following headline:
DOJ Warns Financial Institutions That They Can’t Reject Illegal Immigrants’ Credit Applications
I have a few problems with this. When I take out a loan, I have to provide my Social Security Number. Do illegals have Social Security Numbers? I have to provide a driver’s license and proof of car insurance. Do illegal immigrants have those documents?
The article reports:
The Department of Justice (DOJ) put financial institutions on notice for rejecting illegal immigrants’ credit applications.
The DOJ issued the warning in a joint statement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Thursday. The DOJ and CFPB said in a press release that illegal immigrants had filed complaints about credit application rejections.
“The Justice Department and CFPB are issuing this statement because consumers have reported being rejected for credit cards as well as for auto, student, personal and equipment loans because of their immigration status, even when they have strong credit histories and ties to the United States and are otherwise qualified to receive the loans,” stated the agencies.
The two agencies claimed that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) protections for national origin and race extended to alienage, though they admitted that no such explicit provisions spelled out their interpretation. The agencies conceded that creditors could rely on immigration status to determine repayment ability, but then cautioned against “unnecessary or overbroad reliance” on immigration status.
What’s to stop an illegal from taking out the loan, not bothering to pay it, and disappearing either back to their original country or simply within America? If you are here illegally, you might not have the documents that would allow the government to find you if you chose not to be found. Citizens can be traced by their tax returns, employers, etc.
The article concludes:
Under the ECOA, the DOJ may sue those alleged to have engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination concerning race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in addition to national origin.
According to the DOJ’s latest annual fair lending report from 2021, there were five referrals involving claims of race or national origin discrimination. The 2022 report has yet to be issued.
CFPB’s latest fair lending report, from 2022, did mention prioritizing the financial needs of immigrants. CFPB issued four referrals involving discrimination on the basis of race and national origin in mortgage lending to the DOJ last year.
When do we begin to prioritize the financial needs of American citizens?