Former Republican power broker Tom DeLay recently raised alarm about Houston “illegal immigrants” taking advantage of tax-funded benefits.
DeLay initially agreed in the Sept. 1, 2016, interview that “deportations are up” under President Barack Obama. Deportations hit a record high under Obama in 2013. However, the counts have since come down.
The former U.S. House majority leader once known as “The Hammer” went on to say the flow of “illegal” immigrants also has gone way up – a claim that as of that month wasn’t reflective of border-area apprehensions by the Border Patrol.
“I mean, right here in Houston, Texas,” DeLay said, “you can go three blocks from here and you have apartment complexes after apartment complexes packed full with illegal immigrants.” He shortly added: “Most of these illegals are drawing welfare benefits, they’re sending their kids to school, they’re using the public services. Many of them are paying taxes, I grant you that. But the impact,” he said, “is monumental.”
Is that a fact? Gardner Selby of the PolitiFact Texas fact-checking team has the answer.
DeLay’s comments fell in stride with a hot topic of the 2016 presidential race – the impact of people who may be undocumented. Monumental or not, we wondered if he was right about government-funded benefits drawn by such residents.
Hear how DeLay’s claim scored in the player above.
