WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is moving to tighten oversight of the federal food stamp program, directing states to ensure that illegal immigrants are not receiving benefits meant exclusively for eligible Americans and lawful residents.
The push follows a February executive order signed by President Donald Trump requiring stronger verification systems to prevent individuals in the country illegally from accessing federal benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
By law, illegal immigrants are already prohibited from receiving SNAP. The USDA says the new directive is designed to reinforce existing safeguards, reduce fraud, and protect taxpayer dollars.
“We’re Just Getting Started”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed the enforcement effort in an interview with Fox News Digital, saying arrests linked to SNAP fraud have already occurred in several states.
“We’ve already made arrests in Minnesota and New York and Colorado, and we’re just getting started,” Rollins said. “We’re going to be extremely, extremely aggressive. Hopefully, it also acts as a deterrent.”
According to Rollins, the administration believes improved enforcement could save taxpayers billions of dollars annually.
“It’s the president’s vision to ensure we’re being as efficient and effective as possible with taxpayer dollars,” she said.
New Verification Requirements
Under the USDA’s guidance, states are being urged to strengthen identity and immigration checks by:
Cross-referencing Social Security numbers with the federal death master file
Using the Department of Homeland Security’s
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system for noncitizen applicants
Enhancing coordination between state and federal agencies to detect ineligible recipients
John Walk, acting deputy under secretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services, outlined the legal framework in a letter sent Thursday to state SNAP agencies.
“By law, only United States citizens and certain lawfully present aliens may receive SNAP benefits,” Walk wrote, citing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. “SNAP is not and has never been available to illegal aliens.”
Focus on Blue-State Programs
The enforcement effort comes amid broader scrutiny of state-run benefit programs, particularly in states like California, where residents can enroll in Medicaid regardless of immigration status under a program funded by both state and federal dollars.
California Republicans argue that extending benefits to illegal immigrants has contributed to the program’s financial strain, while Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom maintains that rising healthcare costs nationwide are the primary cause.
“The federal government is now paying attention more closely than ever before to how states are spending the money,” Rollins said, adding that she believes red states generally exercise more caution. “It’s the blue states that tend to want to put everyone on the taxpayers’ back.”
SNAP Reform Beyond Immigration
Beyond eligibility enforcement, SNAP is also facing calls for reform related to nutrition standards. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently asked the USDA for permission to ban the purchase of soda and candy with food stamps while expanding options like rotisserie chicken.
“President Trump and his administration have put a laser focus on solving America’s chronic disease epidemic,” Sanders said in an April statement. “Reforming our food stamp program is a great place to start.”
As the USDA intensifies enforcement and reviews broader reforms, SNAP is increasingly becoming a focal point in the national debate over immigration, public spending, and government accountability.
The Domino Effect: A Late-Night Executive Order Just Threw Tens of Thousands of Lives Into Legal Abyss 
Former President Trump ignited a political firestorm late last night with a blistering Truth Social post ordering the immediate termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis living in Minnesota.
“Minnesota, under Governor Walz, has become a hub of fraudulent money laundering. As President of the United States, I am ending the TPS Program for Somalis in Minnesota effective immediately. Somali gangs are terrorizing that great state and BILLIONS of dollars are missing. Send them back. It’s OVER!”
Trump wrote.
Trump’s declaration followed a bombshell investigative report from City Journal, which described Minnesota—home to the largest Somali population in the country—as being “awash in criminality and fraud” under Democratic Governor Tim Walz. According to the report, billions in taxpayer funds have disappeared, with federal counterterrorism officials confirming that millions were funneled back to Somalia and ultimately into the hands of the terrorist group al-Shabaab.
One federal source stated bluntly:
“The largest funder of al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”
At the same time, Gov. Walz is facing expanded federal scrutiny for his administration’s handling of a state housing program shut down over extensive fraud allegations.
Temporary Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi asked federal authorities to dismantle the Housing Stabilization Services program, citing “credible allegations of fraud” and “exponential growth in spending.”
Originally designed to help seniors and people with disabilities secure housing, the Medicaid-funded program ballooned from $2.6 million in 2017 to $107 million by 2024, according to the
Minnesota Star Tribune.
Minnesota has been rocked by multiple fraud scandals in recent years, including:
The Feeding Our Future scandal ($250 million pandemic food aid theft — the largest COVID-era fraud case in the U.S.)
Abuse in autism assistance programs
Medicaid fraud schemes
Housing assistance fraud
Just two weeks ago, Lakeville resident Khadar Adan was sentenced to one year of probation after admitting he allowed a fraudulent meal distribution site to operate out of his Minneapolis business center, JigJiga. He accepted $1,000 in illegal proceeds and was ordered to repay the same amount.
Adan is one of 75 defendants charged in the Feeding Our Future investigation; 50 have already pleaded guilty. Prosecutors say conspirators falsely claimed to serve millions of meals to children, diverting federal funds to buy luxury cars, real estate and high-end goods.
In a related development, a former campaign associate of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) pleaded guilty last month for participating in the same fraud network—adding to the growing controversies surrounding the congresswoman’s political circle.
Rep. Omar publicly responded to Trump’s late-night order on X.