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Biden didn’t announce ‘Housing for Labor’ program for families willing to take in migrants
If Your Time is short
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This claim originated from a satirical post.
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Here’s how PolitiFact chooses which statements to fact-check.
Did President Joe Biden announce a program that would effectively bring back slavery? Social media users feared as much after a supposed announcement of a new tax incentive program.
"Just in: President Biden announces tax incentives for families willing to take in slav– migrants in a new ‘Housing for Labor’ initiative," read the text in a Feb. 18 Instagram post. "‘You can now apply to keep a migrant in your home in exchange for cooking, cleaning, picking crops, and landscaping.’"
(Screenshot from Instagram)
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
We checked, and there’s no such initiative. The claim originated from a satirical post.
Featured Fact-check
The text came from a Feb. 16 X post by the account "U.S. Ministry of Truth." Its bio says, "Satire or prophecy depending on the day."
It tagged the IRS’ X account, but the agency’s social media accounts and website showed no such initiative. We also found neither news reports nor Google or Nexis search results show such a program exists.
IRS spokesman Eric Smith told PolitiFact that "the IRS has not announced or been involved in announcing any housing-related initiatives." We also reached out to the White House for comment.
The State Department does have a private sponsorship program called Welcome Corps, in which groups of five or more Americans voluntarily assist refugees during their first 90 days in the U.S. Initial services provided include assistance with securing affordable housing.
But Biden didn’t announce a "Housing for Labor" initiative that would give tax incentives for families willing to take in migrants. We rate that claim False.
Our Sources
Instagram post (archived), Feb. 18, 2024
X post by U.S. Ministry of Truth, Feb. 16, 2024
U.S. Ministry of Truth X account, accessed Feb. 16, 2024
U.S. State Department, U.S. Refugee Admissions Program: Reception and Placement, accessed Feb. 20, 2024
Statement from Eric Smith, IRS spokesperson, Feb. 20, 2024
Verify, There is no ‘Housing for Labor’ initiative from the Biden Administration, Feb. 19, 2024
Newsweek, Fact Check: Joe Biden's 'Housing for Labor' Initiative to Take in Migrants, Feb. 19, 2024
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More by Loreben Tuquero
Biden didn’t announce ‘Housing for Labor’ program for families willing to take in migrants
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