Trump Signs Order Aimed At Preventing Illicit Financial Activity

The White House also pointed to cases of banks extending mortgages, credit cards, and loans to undocumented immigrants and employers underreporting wages for undocumented employees, arguing that associated “costs are passed on to American consumers in the form of higher fees and interest rates.”

Economists generally attribute higher rates to benchmark rates, which are used to balance inflation and job growth, bank funding costs, and individual factors like borrowers’ credit scores.

According to a study by the left-leaning Urban Institute, lenders issued around 5,000 to 6,000 mortgages to customers with ITINs.

Banks are generally reluctant to lend to customers with ITINs, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are typically disinclined to insure mortgages for borrowers with an ITIN.

The order also directs the Treasury to consider regulatory changes under the Bank Secrecy Act that would enable financial institutions to more readily collect customer data, including immigration status and employment authorization.