The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released new guidance on April 24, 2025, requiring stricter eligibility verification procedures for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to keep undocumented immigrants from receiving benefits. The policy change, led by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, follows President Donald Trump signing Executive Order 14218 in February 2025, which aims to reduce taxpayer-funded benefits for those living in the country illegally. Although SNAP has long disqualified illegal immigrants, the new rules aim to respond to $10.5 billion in incorrect payments issued in 2023-a number the administration partly blames on lax state-level verification. Critics say the changes will exacerbate food insecurity in mixed-status families and are part of a larger strategy to curtail immigrant access to public benefits.
SNAP eligibility and current barriers
SNAP provides food-purchasing assistance to low-income households, serving nearly 41 million Americans in 2024. Federal law already bars ineligible immigrants, but states run the program with disparate verification processes. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, most noncitizens, including legal residents, are kept under eligibility restrictions unless they qualify under certain parameters, i.e., living in the U.S. for five years. In spite of the aforesaid restrictions, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found inadequate identity and immigration checks as causal agents for improper payments, which stood at 12% of total 2023 SNAP spending.
Increased verification measures
The USDA order mandates states to employ strict proofing procedures, including:
- Cross-matching Social Security numbers with federal databases for detecting fraudulent use.
- Using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, a Homeland Security program now accessible at no charge to states, to verify immigration status.
- Performing in-person interviews for new applicants and periodically re-examining existing cases.
Periodically verifying recipients’ immigration status, as Secretary Rollins pointed out that “immigration status can quickly change.”
States will be required to gather additional proof, like birth certificates or passports, to verify citizenship. These measures are intended to seal loopholes said to allow undocumented individuals to obtain SNAP-a claim activists challenge, citing current safeguards.
Administration’s rationale: Fiscal responsibility and immigration enforcement
President Trump’s executive order frames the changes as a response to the need to safeguard taxpayer dollars and discourage illegal immigration. “American taxpayers will no longer subsidize illegal aliens,” Rollins said, contending that improper payments erode support for “the most vulnerable Americans”. The administration connects eligibility for SNAP to larger issues of concern around “sanctuary” policies and contends that benefits constitute an incentive for illegal entry.
The $10.5 billion improper payment figure, however, includes other errors beyond immigration status, such as calculation errors on income and clerical mistakes. While the USDA has not indicated how much of that amount is attributed to unauthorized enrollments, the GAO report identifies gaps in verification as a systemic issue.
Impact on immigrant communities
Activists fear the regulations may deter eligible families-often mixed-status families-from applying. Fear of deportations or legal consequences may lead even lawfully present family members to forego benefits, further food insecurity. This “chilling effect” parallels fears during the 2019 public charge rulemaking process, when benefit use resulted in visa denials or deportations. Though SNAP itself is not a factor in public charge determinations, increased scrutiny could lead to misinformation and mistrust.
Chris Bernard of Hunger Free Oklahoma minimized short-term effects, observing that states already have eligibility screening but recognized the guidance “proately gives a priority to immigration checks.” Nonprofit agencies serving applicants, however, indicated heightened tension among clients, even U.S. citizens with undocumented relatives.
Wider context of Trump’s immigration agenda
The SNAP reforms are concurrent with other immigration policies limiting immigrant access to public programs. In October 2025, the administration will submit a health insurance mandate for visa applicants who are not anticipated to utilize Medicaid or subsidized coverage. Coupled with the Justice Department’s suggested deportation regulations for benefit recipients, these policies support an approach that conditions residence and assistance on economic self-sufficiency.
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