Sponsor and Findings:

 

Representative Andy Biggs of the 5th Congressional district in Arizona is the sponsor of this bill. He wrote four distinct findings on why this bill is needed:

 

1. Under the Biden Administration (2021-2025) a housing crisis ensued because of the administration’s unchecked illegal immigration. 

 

2. There is a direct correlation between housing cost increases and an influx of illegal immigrants. 

 

3. Areas with high rates of illegal immigration have double digit increases in housing costs. 

 

4. Illegal aliens have used Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers to secure housing loans, putting them in direct competition with American families for housing.

 

A couple of these findings need commentary. Firstly, many areas of the United States with high rates of illegal immigration’s have seen double digit increases in housing costs. (*1, *2, *3) However, a lot of these sources contribute these increases to supply constraints and zoning laws. Secondly, ITIN mortgages make up far less than 1% of U.S. home loans. They also include foreign investors, spouses of U.S. citizens, international students, certain visa holders, etc. This means that while illegal immigrants can use ITIN it is also used by others and takes up very little of the market share.

 

However, this does not mean illegal immigration isn’t contributing to the housing crisis. It is simply not the only or major factor causing the housing crisis. Every credible economic model agrees: more people → more demand for housing. Unauthorized immigration adds to demand, and demand increases can contribute to higher rents and home prices. This means that the unchecked illegal immigration during the Biden Administration in which millions of illegal immigrants were let into the United States can certainly raise prices especially if they are consolidated to major U.S. cities and sanctuary cities.

 

What Does H.R. 8920 Do?

 

The bill adds a new paragraph to Section 6103(l) of the Internal Revenue Code, authorizing the IRS to disclose certain information about individuals who have been issued an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) when DHS submits a written request for immigration‑enforcement purposes. 

 

Under this provision, the IRS must disclose an individual’s name, address, ITIN, filing status, and, when applicable, the names and ITINs of adult dependents or a claimed spouse, along with any other identifying details the IRS considers reasonably necessary to verify identity or immigration status. The information may be used only as needed for enforcing immigration laws and remains protected by all existing taxpayer‑privacy safeguards and penalties under Section 6103. The change applies to disclosures made after the act’s enactment.

 

Effects of H.R. 8920:

 

Expanded immigration‑enforcement capability means that giving DHS access to ITIN‑related identity information would allow immigration authorities to verify identities more accurately and quickly, match IRS records with DHS databases, and identify individuals who may lack lawful status or have unresolved immigration issues. This kind of data access could make enforcement efforts more targeted and efficient by providing clearer identity trails, reducing uncertainty in investigations, and enabling DHS to detect inconsistencies in filings or claimed dependents. Analysts note that this would strengthen DHS’s ability to act on immigration‑related leads, though the scale of the impact would depend on how frequently DHS uses the new authority and how broadly it interprets “reasonably necessary” identifying information.

 

Conclusion:

 

H.R. 8920 the “Restoring the American Homebuyers Dream Act” is a bill that seeks to help the housing crisis by reducing illegal immigrants from competing with American citizens for housing, The bill can help the housing crisis but other issues such as supply issues and zoning laws are likely more important issues that need to be addressed concerning the crisis. Nevertheless, the bill certainly can make migration enforcement efforts more efficient.

Sources:

 

*1 Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. The State of the Nation’s Housing 2024. Harvard University, 2024.

 

*2 Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “U.S. Housing Market Trends and Affordability.” Dallas Fed Economics, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 2023.

 

*3 Redfin. “Housing Market Tracker: Home Prices, Inventory, and Migration Trends.” Redfin Data Center, 2023.