Federal immigration officials have launched an operation aimed at finding illegal immigrants who are fraudulently collecting food stamps.
The nationwide program, aimed at cleaning up the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has already yielded arrests, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on Oct. 22.
The arrests include four Haitian nationals who are in the country illegally.
Rubstony Junior Theodore, one of the illegal immigrants, has an alleged criminal history that includes arrests for larceny, obstruction of officers, and trespassing. It was unclear whether he has retained legal representation.
“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,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
“These programs are for Americans only. Even non-violent illegal alien crime can still have devastating consequences when they’re defrauding the American taxpayer. The illegal alien fraudsters that we’ve already arrested and deported are just a drop in the bucket, and the Trump Administration is committed to going after all these thieves and bringing them to justice.”
Rodolfo Armando Fernandez Guzman, a Dominican national arrested earlier this month, is accused of stealing a U.S. citizen’s identity to obtain $22,402 in SNAP benefits, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday. Guzman’s public defender did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
SNAP provides funds for people who are struggling due to factors such as low income or being disabled to purchase food. The government spent $101.7 billion on the program in fiscal year 2025.
Illegal immigrants are not eligible for SNAP benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, has told states to step up immigration verification when processing applications.
SNAP fraud can involve applying for and receiving benefits with fake information and stealing benefits granted to others. More than $320 million was stolen between Oct. 1, 2022, and Dec. 20, 2024, according to the Government Accountability Office.
A mother who recently had her benefits stolen was forced to take out loans to buy food for her children and suffered from anxiety and depression as a result, according to prosecutors.
Vice President JD Vance (C) speaks as U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche (L) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson listen during a stop at the FBI Cincinnati Field Office in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 21, 2026 (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images)
States often do not know the status of people enrolled in SNAP, Vice President JD Vance, who co-leads the task force, told reporters in Ohio.
“They don’t know whether those people are legal residents of the United States of America. Sometimes they don’t even know if they’re real people at all. So, there’s no verification in certain states, and that’s because this program is fundamentally a state-administered program,” Vance said.
“And so, what we’ve tried to do is … try to get a little inventive and try to get ahead of the curve at anticipating and seeing the fraud before it goes out the door.”
