Texas Looks Like Home To Illegal Immigrants

It is illegal to employ undocumented immigrants, surprisingly though it is not illegal to give them a loan. This explains why banks have been encouraging employees to learn to speak Spanish. It even seems as though the federal and state governments are encouraging this practice, with the use of individual tax identification numbers. ITIN's provide a great alternative to those who are not eligible to receive a social security card, by enabling illegal aliens to pay taxes and obtain a home mortgage.

"Getting a loan should not be about immigration," according to Arturo Gonzalez, housing director for El Centro de la Raza. "Do you work? Do you pay your bills? Hence it's not illegal for an undocumented immigrant to buy a house in this country."

El Centro de la Raza is a Seattle based group that helps illegal immigrants obtain mortgages.

"The Hispanic community places a high value on ownership," Mary Mancera of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. "It's the center of the hearth, home and family. They don't take the responsibility of making mortgage payments lightly."

There are some who oppose this growing trend though. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), for example, thinks its wrong for federally regulated institutions to offer financial support to illegal immigrants. Recently, Farmer's Branch, Texas, made English their official language. They also established fines to discourage landlords from renting to illegal immigrants.

"It's aiding and abetting...," Ira Mehlman, a spokesperson for FAIR said, "...encouraging people who are breaking the law."

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, NAHREP, published a study in 2004 estimating over 200,000 illegal immigrants qualify to buy a home. According to this study, illegal immigrants make up $44 billion of the mortgage market. The president and CEO of Hispanic Lending.Com, Rick Troutman, believes that the results of this survey are modest, stating that the actual numbers are multiples higher.

Latinos are not only the largest immigrant group in the United States, they are also the fastest growing, at the rate of 1.7 million people a year. A study conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth, at the University of Georgia, estimates that Latino purchasing power will be around $1 trillion a year by 2010. The same study showed Latino purchasing power was around $735.6 billion last year.