Sunday, January 11, 2026
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Sunday, January 11, 2026

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

17 Bombshells in the IRS Whistleblower’s Hunter Biden Testimony

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The testimony of IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley contains numerous bombshells. We have rounded up 17 of them below.

Shapley is an Internal Revenue Service Criminal Supervisory Special Agent whose testimony was released by the House Ways & Means Committee after President Joe Biden’s son Hunter was given a plea bargain for misdemeanors by the U.S. DOJ. Read Shapley’s full testimony transcript here.

“I grew up in a little town in upstate New York and never thought that I would be in this position I am today,” Shapley told the committee. “I was taught to be proud of this country that had afforded me so many opportunities and to always do the right thing — the right thing, a simple philosophy that has me sitting here today. There is no reward for me for becoming a whistleblower. The only win for me is to not be fired or arrested or retaliated against.”

Irs whistleblower transcripts

“I am blowing the whistle because the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice Tax, and Department of Justice provided preferential treatment and unchecked conflicts of interest in an important and high-profile investigation of the President’s son, Hunter Biden,” he added.

“I am alleging, with evidence, that DOJ provided preferential treatment, slow-walked the investigation, did nothing to avoid obvious conflicts of interest in this investigation.”

Here are 17 bombshell moments from his testimony:

1. The FBI Had Authenticated Hunter Biden’s Abandoned Laptop by October 2019

“In October 2019, the FBI became aware that a repair shop had a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden and that the laptop might contain evidence of a crime. The FBI verified its authenticity in November of 2019 by matching the device number against Hunter Biden’s Apple iCloud ID.”


2. Investigators Were Blocked From Searching Joe Biden’s Guest House

“For example, we obtained a July 30th, 2017, WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to Henry Zhao, where Hunter Biden wrote: “I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the
director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.” Communications like these made it clear we needed to search the guest house at the Bidens’ Delaware residence where Hunter Biden stayed for a time.

In a September 3rd, 2023 [2020], pros meeting, the Assistant United States Attorney, Lesley Wolf, told us there was more than enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze. She continued that optics were a driving factor in the decision on whether to execute a search warrant. She said a lot of evidence in our investigation would be found in the guest house of former Vice President Biden, but said there is no way we will get that approved.”


3. DOJ Rejected Enforcement Operations

“Even after investigative steps were denied, enforcement operations were rejected by DOJ, leading to the election in November 2020, we continued to obtain further leads in the Sportsman’s case and prepared for when we could go overt.

For example, in August 2020, we got the results back from an iCloud search warrant. Unlike the laptop, these came to the investigative team from a third-party record keeper and included a set of messages. The messages included material we
clearly needed to follow up on. Nevertheless, prosecutors denied investigators’ requests to develop a strategy to look into the messages and denied investigators’ suggestion to obtain location information to see where the texts were sent from.


4. A DOJ Prosecutor Tried to Stop Investigators From Asking ‘About Dad’

“(US Attorney) Weiss was in and out for the rest of the meeting, but it went downhill from there. We shared with prosecutors our outline to interview Hunter Biden’s associate, Rob Walker. Among other things, we wanted to question Walker about an email that said: ‘Ten held by H for the big guy.’ We had obvious questions like who was H, who the big guy was, and why this percentage was to be held separately with the association hidden. But AUSA Wolf interjected and said she did not want to ask about the big guy and stated she did not want to ask questions about ‘dad.’ When multiple people in the room spoke up and objected that we had to ask, she responded, there’s no specific criminality to that line of questioning.”


5. DOJ Requested That All of the Investigators Be Kicked Off the Team

“However, on Monday, May 15th, my special agent in charge called me and told me that DOJ had requested an entirely new team from the IRS and that none of the 12 agents in my group would be able to work the case. This seems like clear retaliation for me making my disclosures.”


6. Accusing the Attorney General of Giving False Testimony to Congress

“And yet, when Senator Chuck Grassley asked Attorney General Garland about the case on March 1st, 2023, Garland testified, quote: “The United States Attorney had been advised that he has full authority to make those referrals you’re talking about or to bring cases in other districts if he needs to do that. He has been advised that he should get anything he needs. I have not heard anything from that office that suggests they are not able to do anything that the U.S. Attorney wants them to do.”
I don’t have any firsthand information into why Garland said that, but to all of us who have been in the October 7th meeting with Weiss, this was clearly false testimony.”


7. DOJ Refused to Name a Special Counsel

“To add to the surprise, U.S. Attorney Weiss stated that he subsequently asked for special counsel authority from Main DOJ at that time and was denied that authority.”


8. DOJ Blocked Charges on the Most Serious Matters Like Burisma Due to Jurisdictional Games That Ran Out the Statute of Limitations

“That process meant no charges would ever be brought in the District of Columbia, where the statute of limitations on the 2014 and ’15 charges would eventually expire. The years in question included foreign income from Burisma and a scheme to evade his income taxes through a partnership with a convicted felon. There were also potential FARA issues relating to 2014 and 2015. The purposeful exclusion of the 2014 and 2015 years sanitized the most substantive criminal conduct and concealed material facts. Because United States.

Attorney Weiss had no ability to charge 2014 and 2015, DOJ allowed the statute of limitations to expire. There is no mechanism available to collect the tax owed by Hunter Biden for 2014 other than in a voluntary fashion.”


9. Investigators Were Pressured Not to Interview the Biden Grandchildren

“These delays extended through September and into October. Then the United States Attorney’s Office raised other objections. Part of what we examined were charges made with Hunter Biden’s card that might conceivably have been done by his
children. However, on October 21st, 2021, AUSA Wolf told us it will get us into hot water if we interview the President’s grandchildren.”


10. A DOJ Prosecutor Tipped Offf Hunter Biden That Investigators Were Going to Search His Storage Unit

“On December 10th, 2020, the prosecutorial team met again to discuss the next steps. One piece of information that came out of the day of action was that Hunter Biden vacated the Washington, D.C., office of Owasco. His documents all went into a storage unit in northern Virginia. The IRS prepared an affidavit in support of a search warrant for the unit, but AUSA Wolf once again objected.

My special agent in charge and I scheduled a call with United States Attorney Weiss on December 14th just to talk about that specific issue. United States Attorney Weiss agreed that if the storage unit wasn’t accessed for 30 days we could execute a
search warrant on it.

No sooner had we gotten off the call then we heard AUSA Wolf had simply reached out to Hunter Biden’s defense counsel and told him about the storage unit, once again ruining our chance to get to evidence before being destroyed, manipulated, or concealed.”


11. The FBI Tipped Off the Bidens About a Planned Interview

“Hunter Biden was assigned Secret Service protection on or around our December 3rd meeting. So we developed a plan for the FBI Los Angeles special agent in charge to reach out at 8 a.m. on December 8th to the Secret Service Los Angeles special agent in charge and tell them that we would be coming to the residence to seek an interview with Hunter Biden and that it was part of an official investigation.

However, the night before, December 7th, 2020, I was informed that FBI headquarters had notified Secret Service headquarters and the transition team about the planned actions the following day. This essentially tipped off a group of people very close to President Biden and Hunter Biden and gave this group an opportunity to obstruct the approach on the witness.”


12. Delaying Search Warrants

“As early as March 6th, 2020, I sent a sensitive case report up through my chain of command at IRS reporting that by mid-March the IRS would be ready to seek approval for physical search warrants in California, Arkansas, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Special Agent drafted an April 1st, 2020, affidavit establishing probable cause for these physical search warrants. We also planned to conduct approximately 15 contemporaneous interviews at that time.

Yet, after former Vice President Joseph Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee for President in early April 2020, career DOJ officials dragged their feet on the IRS taking these investigative steps.

By June 2020, those same career officials were already delaying overt investigative actions. This was well before the typical 60- to 90-day period when DOJ would historically stand down before an election. It was apparent that DOJ was purposely
slow-walking investigative actions in this matter.”


13. No Physical Search Warrant Allowed

“Also on an October 22nd, 2020, pros team call, AUSA Wolf stated that United States Attorney David Weiss had reviewed the affidavit for search warrant of Hunter Biden’s residence and agreed that probable cause had been achieved. Even though the legal requirements were met and the investigative team knew evidence would be in these locations, AUSA Wolf stated that they would not allow a physical search warrant on Hunter Biden.”


14. Obstructed Investigators From Seeing All of the Evidence

“Investigators were Obstructed from seeing all of the evidence Special Agent asked about the full filter reviewed copy of the contents of the devices. He stated he had not been provided with the data. AUSA Lesley Wolf stated that she would not have seen it because, for a variety of reasons, prosecutors decided to keep it from the investigators. This decision is unprecedented in my experience.

Investigators assigned to this investigation were obstructed from seeing all the available evidence. It is unknown if all the evidence in the laptop was reviewed by agents or by prosecutors.”


15. Stopping the Investigation Before the Election

“On September 4th, 2020, Deputy Attorney General Donoghue issued a cease and desist of all overt investigative activities due to the coming election. AUSA Wolf made several odd statements, to include that DOJ was under fire and it was self-inflicted. She stated that DOJ needed to repair their reputation.”


16. Denying Search Warrants

“On September 3rd, 2020, the slow-walking of process continued when AUSA Wolf stated that a search warrant for the emails for Blue Star Strategies was being sat on by OEO. That’s the Department of Justice Office — actually, I’m sorry. I don’t know what it means, the acronym.

She indicated it would likely not get approved. This was a significant blow to the Foreign Agents Registration Act piece of the investigation.”


17. Stopping Investigators From Obtaining Information About Texts

“For example, in August 2020, we got the results back from an iCloud search warrant. Unlike the laptop, these came to the investigative team from a third-party record keeper and included a set of messages. The messages included material we clearly needed to follow up on.

Nevertheless, prosecutors denied investigators’ requests to develop a strategy to look into the messages and denied investigators’ suggestion to obtain location information to see where the texts were sent from.”

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Walz Will Not Run for Reelection in Minnesota

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday he will not seek a third term in 2026.

Walz was first elected to the position of Minnesota governor in 2018 after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives beginning since 2007. He ran unsuccessfully as Vice President alongside Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in 2024.

Walz decision not to seek a third term comes amidst allegations of fraud with federal dollars in Minnesota. In November, a report alleged millions of taxpayer dollars were stolen from Minnesota's welfare system and sent to a Somali-based terror group.

Fraud allegations intensified when independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a video that claimed to reveal $110 million in fraudulent federal support sent to Minnesota day cares.

The Minnesota governor is expected to testify before Congress on Feb. 10 in response to allegations of fraud in the state.

Without an incumbent Democrat in the race for Minnesota governor, the 2026 primary election will likely be a heated contest as contestants vie for their parties nomination to the governor's mansion.

The Republican primary for governor already includes Minnesota Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth; CEO of the pillow company MyPillow, Mike Lindell; and former state senator and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen.

Demuth criticized Walz's decision to step down and pointed to the allegations of financial fraud plaguing the state in a post on social media.

"Democrat in Minnesota has spent years enabling criminals who stole our tax dollars, with still no meaningful accountability and no end in sight to the billions in fraud that still plagues nearly every government program imaginable thanks to 16 years of Democrat control," Demuth wrote on social media.

Minnesota's primary election is set for Aug. 11.

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Milwaukee Sees Homicide Jump, Other Violent Crimes Drop in 2025

(The Center Square) – 2025 was a deadlier year in Milwaukee after the city’s police department reported a jump in homicides last year.

Milwaukee’s homicide database shows 142 people were killed in the city in 2025, compared to 132 in 2024. That is an 8% increase.

Milwaukee Police are not offering any thoughts as to why more people were killed in 2025 than 2024.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the spike in homicides is “vexing.”

The murder increase in Milwaukee stands out, in part, because 2025 saw fewer murders in most big cities. Washington, D.C reported a 31% drop in homicides, while Chicago reported 30% fewer killings. New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New Orleans also reported a drop in homicides in 2025.

Nationwide, the FBI said homicides fell almost 20% in the last year.

Milwaukee did see a double digit drop in other crimes, however.

The police database shows a 19% drop in non-fatal shootings. Milwaukee Police say 515 people were shot and survived in 2025, down from 637 in 2024.

Aggravated assaults fell 22%, and robberies dropped 28%. But the biggest year-over-year decline in crime in Milwaukee came from carjacking cases.

The police database reported a 49% drop in carjackings, from 513 in 2024 down to 264 in 2025.

Tom Tiffany, Derrick Van Orden Support Venezuela Strikes, Maduro Capture

Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are reacting to President Donald Trump's announcement of the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

In a post to social media, Trump announced the U.S. carried out a "large scale strike" against Venezuela, capturing Maduro and his wife.

The two are in U.S. custody and charged with "narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the U.S.," according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., praised Trump's decision-making and called Maduro an illegitimate dictator. He said the Venezuelan leader was running a "vast drug-trafficking operation."

Cotton also said he was briefed on Maduro's capture by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said Rubio confirmed Maduro was in U.S. custody.

"The interim government in Venezuela must now decide whether to continue the drug trafficking and colluding with adversaries like Iran and Cuba or whether to act like a normal nation and return to the civilized world," Cotton said. "I urge them to choose wisely."

Similarly, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said she fully supports Trump's actions in Venezuela.

"Nicolas Maduro will face justice on American soil," Blackburn said. "I fully support the Trump administration for doing what is needed to protect American lives."

House Republican chair Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., also emphatically backed President Trump's decision-making in a post on social media.

"President Trump has cracked down on drug trafficking harder than any President in history," McClain wrote. "Maduro is a narco-terrorist. Period. His illegitimate regime floods our country with deadly drugs and Americans pay the price. President Trump didn’t look the other way; he acted. That’s what leadership looks like, and it’s how you protect the American people."

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Assembly Leaders Call for Dugan’s Resignation, Threaten Impeachment

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly leaders say they will begin impeachment proceedings if Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan does not resign from her post immediately following a felony obstruction conviction Thursday evening.

Dugan was found guilty of obstructing as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were attempting to arrest a defendant in her court outside of the courtroom.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August, R-Walworth, sent a statement Friday noting that the last Wisconsin judge was impeached in 1853 but that the Assembly would begin impeachment proceedings if Dugan doesn’t resign.

Dugan’s legal team indicated Thursday that she would appeal the jury’s decision.

“Under a 1976 Attorney General Opinion, Democrat Bronson La Follette stated that when a State Senator was convicted of a felony, a vacancy was created, and the Senator ‘was effectually divested of any right or title to the office. His status with reference to the office was fixed at the time of his conviction,’ the leaders wrote. “Such is the case here, and Judge Dugan must recognize that the law requires her resignation.

“Wisconsinites deserve to know their judiciary is impartial and that justice is blind. Judge Hannah Dugan is neither, and her privilege of serving the people of Wisconsin has come to an end.”

The jury found Dugan not guilty of a misdemeanor charge of concealing related to defendant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was later arrested on the street outside the courthouse and has since been deported.

The obstruction charge could lead to up to five years in prison.

The Assembly leaders cited the Wisconsin constitution, which says “‘[n]o person convicted of a felony, in any court within the United States, no person convicted in federal court of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under federal law as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust and no person convicted, in a court of a state, of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under the law of the state as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust shall be eligible to any office of trust, profit or honor in this state unless pardoned of the conviction.”

“While we are disappointed in today’s outcome, the failure of the prosecution to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan’s name and show she did nothing wrong in the matter,” her legal team said after the verdict was read. “We have planned for this potential outcome and our defense of Judge Dugan is just beginning.”

Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan Guilty of Felony Obstruction During ICE Arrest

(The Center Square) – Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan was found guilty of a felony charge of obstruction by a jury Thursday in a case involving the judge’s actions related to a defendant in her court that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were attempting to arrest outside of the courtroom.

The jury returned the verdict at 8:38 p.m. Central Time.

The jury found Dugan not guilty of a misdemeanor charge of concealing related to defendant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was later arrested on the street outside the courthouse and has since been deported.

The obstruction charge could lead to up to a $100,000 fine and a year in prison.

“While we are disappointed in today’s outcome, the failure of the prosecution to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan’s name and show she did nothing wrong in the matter,” her legal team said. “We have planned for this potential outcome and our defense of Judge Dugan is just beginning.”

Video from the courthouse depicts Dugan speaking with ICE officers in the hallway outside her courtroom and defendant Flores-Ruiz walking through a back hallway with a person identified in an affidavit as his attorney before heading to an elevator and then being chased down and arrested on the street outside of the courthouse.

FBI, DOJ Foil Plot For New Year’s Eve Bombings in Southern California

Four alleged members of a pro-Palestine terror group were arrested in connection with alleged plans for New Year’s Eve bombings across Southern California.

Authorities announced the arrests during a news conference Monday with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Essayli said all four suspects are from the Los Angeles area. He said one suspect created a plan to bomb five or more locations across Los Angeles and Orange County, with step-by-step instructions on building improvised explosive devices.

The arrests were made last week in Lucerne Valley, which is east of Los Angeles.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI prevented the bombings.

“The Turtle Island Liberation Front — a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group — was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve,” Bondi posted on X. “The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles.”

Bondi credited “an incredible effort” and "intense investigation" by the FBI and the U.S, Attorney’s Offices for foiling the plot.

“We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice,” Bondi said.

Wisconsin All-Terrain, Utility Vehicles Registration Loophole Closed

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin all-terrain and utility task vehicle drivers now must follow Wisconsin laws on where they can drive the vehicles and must pay trail registration fees regardless of where the vehicle is registered.

The bill was recently signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers and it became Wisconsin Act 64.

The law requires any ATV or UTV to follow state law based upon how Wisconsin would classify the vehicle regardless of what the title says for the state where the vehicle is registered.

Lawmakers said the goal of the bill was to close a loophole where Wisconsin UTV and ATV owners would register a vehicle in South Dakota and Montana but drive it in Wisconsin.

“They’re contacting people in Wisconsin and saying ‘Hey, if you register your UTV to an LLC in Montana or South Dakota, we can license that as a motor vehicle, not as an ATV or UTV,’” sponsor Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, said during a public hearing on the bill. “And, because of that, they tell Wisconsin residents that you can now use this motor vehicle on any road in the state of Wisconsin.”

The current system of UTV and ATV routes and trails in the state and laws on using those vehicles are locally regulated and usage is determined on the local level.

The new law allows nonresidents access to all Wisconsin ATV and UTV trails and approved routes with a nonresident trail pass.

The registration system is a tax that allows ATV and UTV owners to pay their way by paying for the trail system, Wisconsin ATV Association President Randy Harden said during a public hearing. This means it is important that out-of-state vehicle owners also pay for using the system.

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Thousands of Afghan Refugees Qualified For Slew of Costly Benefits

Tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees, including the gunman charged in the shootings of two National Guard members, killing one just blocks from the White House, were eligible for a slew of benefits, including housing and medical at the expense of the American taxpayer.

Following the pullout of American forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the Biden administration admitted nearly 200,000 evacuees between 2021 and 2023, including two recently arrested on terrorism charges. Through various reports and testimony by government officials, it was revealed that many of the Afghan nationals couldn’t be properly vetted.

Afghans who entered the U.S. on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), under a special immigrant parole (SQ/SI), and were granted humanitarian parole as part of the Biden Administration’s Operation Allies Welcome were eligible for over a dozen taxpayer benefits, many continuing four years later.

The benefits include: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), HUD Public Housing and Section 8 housing vouchers, emergency Medicaid, Affordable Care Act health plans and subsidies, full-scope Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), federal student aid and Pell grants, REAL ID, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act services, refugee resettlement programs through the Office of Refugee Resettlement and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), according to the National Immigration Law Center.

For those who didn’t qualify for SSI or TANF, refugees were eligible for up to 12 months of Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) through the ORR.

In addition, many refugees qualified for employment assistance through Refugee Support Services, which included: childcare, transportation, “employability services,” job training and preparation, job search assistance, placement and retention, English language training, translation and interpreter services and case management, according to the Administration for Children and Families Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The ORR also noted that “some clients may be eligible for specialized programs such as health services, technical assistance for small business start-ups and financial savings.”

Many refugees also qualified for “immigration-related legal assistance” to assist them “on their pathway to obtaining a permanent status.”

Despite the multitude of services provided to Afghan refugees, “they are less likely to be proficient in English, have lower educational attainment, and lower labor force participation” compared to other immigrants in the U.S., according to the Migration Policy Institute. Additionally, “compared to both the native born and the overall foreign-born population, they are much more likely to be living in poverty.”

The institute noted that Afghans “tend to have lower educational attainment” compared to American and foreign-born populations, citing a 2022 statistic showing 28% of Afghan immigrants age 25 and older “reported having at least a bachelor’s degree” as compared to 36% of Americans and 35% of all foreign-born populations.

While 29% of Afghan adults reported having less than a high school diploma, compared to 25% of other immigrant populations, there were some slight improvements among those who arrived in the U.S. between 2020 and 2022, with 36% having at least a four-year degree. However, that figure is 12 points less than other immigrant populations arriving during the same period.

The institute highlighted the “relatively low labor force participation rate” of Afghan immigrants ages 16 and older, showing that in 2022, 61% were in the civilian labor market, compared to 67% of other immigrant populations and 63% of U.S.-born individuals.

Afghan immigrants have a higher poverty rate compared to the American and foreign-born populations. As of 2022, 39% of Afghan nationals were living in poverty, compared to 12% of Americans and 14% of other immigrant populations.

Among the many benefits Afghan refugees are eligible to receive, one of the most costly may be housing in the form of public housing and the Section 8 program.

The institute showed that a majority of immigrants from Afghanistan are concentrated in some of the regions with the highest housing costs in the nation, including the metro areas of Washington, D.C., Sacramento, San Fransico, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle and San Diego.

When asked if Afghan refugees are still receiving housing benefits, a HUD official told The Center Square that the department “is working in coordination with appropriate agencies to align the Department’s guidance related to immigration status to ensure taxpayer-funded benefits are not used for any unintended purpose.”

Adding to housing benefits, The Center Square reported Tuesday exclusively that amid a national housing crisis, the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development produced guidelines encouraging property owners to forgo some fair housing practices to favor Afghan refugees, which the Trump administration directed to be terminated.

The Center Square obtained a HUD directive from the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity rescinding the Biden-era guidance document, “Operation Allies Welcome: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Fair Housing Issues,” and withdrawing from a FHEO guidance document “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Renting to Refugees and Eligible Newcomers,” which the agency claims violates the Fair Housing Act.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner argues the Biden-era guidelines prioritized nearly 200,000 Afghan refugees who were admitted following the 2021 pullout of American forces from Afghanistan by encouraging landlords and property owners to forgo credit checks, occupancy limitations, and engage in targeted marketing toward Afghans.

“After President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, his administration made a bad situation worse by prioritizing housing assistance for Afghan refugees, who we now know were unvetted and unchecked,” Turner told The Center Square. “Since day one, our mission has been clear: to serve the American people and end the misuse and abuse of American taxpayer-funded resources. That is why we rescinded this Operation Allies Welcome guidance, which encouraged landlords and property owners to violate federal civil rights law to protect Afghan refugees. Under President Trump’s leadership, the days of putting Americans last is over.”

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