Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appeared to suggest that she supports amnesty for illegal migrants during a Friday interview on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
Host Bill Maher asked Pelosi about her thoughts on California’s AB 1840, a bill passed by the state’s legislature on Wednesday that would make some illegal migrants eligible for up to $150,000 in cash assistance to become first-time homebuyers, according to Politico. During their exchange, Pelosi told Maher that she would like to move “undocumented” migrants to “documented” status, appearing to suggest that she supports providing amnesty to migrants living in the U.S. illegally.
“So, you’d vote for this law?” Maher asked Pelosi.
“Well, I’m not familiar with exactly what that is, but making the American dream of home ownership available to all people is something we have to do for people who are here now,” Pelosi said in response.
Maher followed up, reminding Pelosi that AB 1840 “is for the undocumented.” Specifically, the bill makes illegal migrants with social security or taxpayer-identification numbers eligible for cash assistance through a program called California Dream for All, which grants first-time home buyers up to $150,000 and only requires recipients to pay interest if they sell the property.
“Well, what I would like to do is move them to documented,” Pelosi said, before the live audience’s applause drowned out her voice momentarily.
Republican opponents of AB 1840 have argued that the cash-strapped state’s resources should be used to benefit American citizens in need; some moderate Democrats joined Republicans in an effort to block the bill in the state senate, according to Politico. The bill is now on the desk of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has declined to comment on whether he will sign the bill and enact it as law.
Nationally, Americans have consistently identified immigration as one of the most important issues facing the country today. The Biden-Harris administration has overseen unprecedented levels of illegal immigration into the U.S., especially at the southern border; since fiscal year 2021, Customs and Border Patrol has recorded more than 8.5 million migrant encounters at the southern border alone.
Pelosi’s office did not respond immediately to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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