Vice President JD Vance is renewing his warning about the direct connection between mass immigration and rising housing costs, citing newly released housing data showing rents across the U.S. have declined for the fourth straight month.
According to Apartment List, the national median rent in November dropped 1% from October to $1,367, marking a 1.1% year-over-year decrease and a 5.2% drop from the 2022 peak. The trend coincides with a surge in housing availability and a historic drop in illegal immigration.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner directly linked the declining rents to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement. “Six months of ZERO illegals released into our country. Two million illegals removed. Rents drop for the fourth straight month,” Turner posted on X. “Coincidence? I think not.”
JD Vance echoed the sentiment, writing, “The connection between illegal immigration and skyrocketing housing costs is as clear as day. We are proud to be moving in the right direction. Still so much to do.”
Vance has consistently highlighted the issue, arguing that mass immigration creates overwhelming pressure on housing markets by increasing demand while supply remains stagnant. “We flooded the country with 30 million illegal immigrants who are taking houses which ought by right go to American citizens,” he said in a recent interview. “At the same time, we weren’t building enough new houses to begin with.”
Vance emphasized that the housing crisis hits younger Americans hardest, as they struggle to afford homes or stable rent. He has called for further immigration enforcement alongside policies that prioritize housing availability for citizens.
Research supports his claims. A 2023 Danish study found a one percentage point increase in local immigration over five years raised rental prices by 6% and home prices by 11%. Similarly, the Center for Immigration Studies told Congress that a five-percentage-point rise in immigrant share in a metro area led to a 12% increase in rents for U.S.-born households, adjusted for income.
As the Trump administration continues its immigration rollback, the latest rental market data may offer early signs of relief for Americans long priced out of affordable housing.
