Trump administration cites widespread misuse of SNAP as funding lapses during shutdown
As the Trump administration works to bring the nation’s largest food aid program back online, attention is shifting to just how expansive the program has become and to the administration’s...
By Fox News · Fox News
As the Trump administration works to bring the nation’s largest food aid program back online, attention is shifting to just how expansive the program has become and to the administration’s push to ensure illegal immigrants aren’t among its recipients. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), meant to be a lifeline for low-income households, was set to expire over the weekend as the government shutdown entered its second month. CHARTS ILLUSTRATE THE SCALE OF SNAP AS MILLIONS FACE POTENTIAL BENEFIT LAPSE The sweeping program, which supports more than 40 million Americans , was among the first priorities Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins targeted for review, citing concerns about eligibility and oversight. "We sent letters to every governor in America being very clear that no illegal aliens can use SNAP, zero, zero, zero. We asked every state for the first time in history, this was in February, to send us their data," Rollins said during an interview on " Fox & Friends Weekend ." She added that so far only 29 states have complied with the request, but Rollins said even that limited data has already revealed significant misuse. "We have found thousands and thousands of illegal use of the EBT card, we have been moving people off of SNAP, we've got about 700,000 people that we've moved off SNAP since the president took office, and we've arrested about 118 people," Rollins said. She added that investigators also discovered about 5,000 dead people who were still receiving benefits. "It is time to drastically reform this program, so that we can make sure that those who are truly needy and truly vulnerable are getting what they need and the rest of the corruption goes away so that we can serve the American taxpayer," she added. ‘THAT ENDS NOW:’ WHITE HOUSE VOWS REMOVAL OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TAXPAYER BENEFITS Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) says about 41.7 million Americans, or one in eight households, rely on SNAP benefits…