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Republican-backed bill would criminalize nondisclosure of immigration status during housing applications; advocates say it risks discrimination and costly court
Summary
Rep. Joe Alexander’s HB 1709 would require applicants to disclose lawful presence when seeking housing and makes nondisclosure an offense; immigrant-rights groups, the ACLU and housing advocates warned the committee the proposal delegates federal immigration law to landlords, risks racial profiling and due‑process problems, and is likely to spur litigation.
Representative Joe Alexander introduced HB 1709 as a measure he said is intended to prevent people who are unlawfully present from taking rental housing in New Hampshire. The sponsor told the committee the bill would require a person applying for residential housing to disclose lawful presence and described nondisclosure as a punishable offense, saying, “Illegal aliens are not welcome in the Granite State.”
Opponents ranged from legal and immigrant‑services organizations to municipal and business witnesses. The ACLU of New Hampshire told lawmakers the bill…
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