DHS launches nationwide ICE operation targeting illegal immigrants accused of SNAP food stamp fraud
Nationwide Crackdown on SNAP Fraud Targets Illegal Immigrants, Says DHS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has launched a nationwide operation aimed at stopping illegal immigrants who are allegedly defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The initiative, carried out in cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has already produced a series of arrests and deportations.
The operation focuses on people who are in the country without legal authorization and who have been found to have fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits, a program that provides food assistance to low‑income Americans. “Illegal aliens who have no right to be here in the first place are the last people who should be using SNAP benefits and other forms of welfare,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a statement released Thursday. “These programs are for Americans only. Even non‑violent illegal alien crime can still have devastating consequences when they’re defrauding the American taxpayer.”
According to DHS officials, the operation has already led to the arrest and removal of several individuals, including multiple Haitian nationals. Among those identified is Rubstony Junior Theodore, who has a documented history of larceny, obstruction of officers and trespassing. Theodore was detained by ICE as part of the broader effort. Three other Haitian nationals—Wilbert Jean Baptiste, Louis Jean, and Jhensly Charles—were also apprehended, the department said.
The operation also targeted a Cuban national, Elizabeth Povea Rodriguez, who had previously been convicted of disorderly conduct and was arrested on battery and domestic‑violence charges. Rodriguez was seized during the same round of arrests.
DHS officials described the arrests as the “opening salvo” in a sustained, large‑scale ICE operation “specifically targeting illegal aliens who have fraudulently accessed SNAP benefits that American taxpayers fund exclusively for U.S. citizens in need.” The agency added that “every one of these individuals entered the country unlawfully, then proceeded to draw from a program designed to feed struggling American families, in some cases while carrying criminal records.”
The announcement follows a broader trend of federal efforts to curb misuse of federal benefit programs. Secretary Mullin emphasized that the Trump administration will continue to pursue individuals accused of SNAP fraud as part of a larger crackdown on the misuse of federal benefits. He said the individuals already apprehended and deported “represents just a drop in the bucket,” underscoring the scale of the problem the agency seeks to address.
Under federal law, most immigrants who are in the United States illegally are ineligible for SNAP benefits. Exceptions exist for certain categories of lawfully present noncitizens, but unauthorized migrants are barred from the program. DHS’s focus on this group is aimed at ensuring that the program remains available for the low‑income Americans for whom it was designed.
While the operation is still in its early stages, the arrests signal a renewed commitment by the federal government to enforce the eligibility rules of federal assistance programs. ICE and DHS officials will likely continue to target individuals who have been found to have accessed SNAP benefits in violation of the law, with the aim of preventing further fraud and protecting the integrity of the program for American families in need.