The Trump Administration has removed SNAP benefits from nearly 700,000 people receiving them illegally, based on recipient data provided by 29 states, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on Sunday during an interview with FOX News.
[RELATED: Mills Blames Trump, Republicans and Lauds AG Frey as Maine Joins SNAP Lawsuit…]
“In that data we have found thousands and thousands of of [sic] illegal use of the EBT card. We’ve been moving people off of SNAP; we’ve got almost 700,000 people I think we’ve moved off just since the President took office. We’ve arrested about 118 people,” said Secretary Rollins.
Rollins stated that the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent out letters to every state at the start of President Donald Trump’s term in office, demanding that no illegal aliens be allowed to receive SNAP benefits, commonly referred to as food stamps.
In response to the request, 29 states handed over the data, while 21, including Maine, refused and instead filed a lawsuit in July demanding the right to refuse to provide the data.
Using data from the 29 states that complied, the government, with the help of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), identified approximately 700,000 SNAP recipients who were ineligible to receive taxpayer-funded welfare.
Additionally, the information led to the arrest of 118 people.
Rollins criticized the Democrat-led states, like Maine, that have refused to hand over their data, which has prevented the federal government from identifying ineligible recipients in those states, potentially including illegal immigrants, and removing them from the program.
“The Democrat Party has turned its back on working Americans and built its entire strategy around protecting illegal aliens. They know if the handouts stop, those illegals will go back home, and Democrats will lose 20+ seats after the next census. There’s a new sheriff in town,” said Rollins on X.
“@POTUS will not tolerate waste, fraud, or abuse while hardworking Americans go hungry,” she added.
Rollins’ announcement comes as some SNAP benefits ended at the start of the month due to the ongoing government shutdown.
[RELATED: Mills Applauds Federal Rulings Ordering USDA to Release SNAP Funds Amid Shutdown…]
Following federal court rulings, the Trump Administration has agreed to partially fund the welfare program.
