@coyotl
@rab
It would appear that Phoenix radio station KYFI started this rumour based on a comment by a retired ICE agent.
A retired agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that five million illegal immigrants nationwide may hold home mortgages.
Earlier this week, we posted a story that said figures from the Department of Housing and Urban Development showed that home mortgages were held by 5 million illegal immigrants and that this may have contributed, in part, to the housing crisis that has led to the recent failure in the financial markets.
Our source for that story, a retired agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stands by those numbers.
A person from Housing and Urban Development contacted KFYI to tell us the number was inaccurate, that there were only 2.3 million mortgages held by immigrants, so there was no way that 5 million illegals could have mortgages.
When asked what HUD says the correct number is, the person (who identified himself only as ‘Brian’ and who refused to give his last name), either would not or could not say how many illegal immigrants hold mortgages. He also said there was “no way” HUD would grant an interview on the subject.
