Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has expressed concerns that states led by Democrats are not cooperating with the Trump administration’s investigation into illegal immigrants using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She noted that the agency has been identifying thousands of cases of fraud linked to the food stamp system.
In an appearance on Fox News, Rollins mentioned that since President Trump resumed office this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has removed nearly 700,000 individuals from SNAP and has arrested around 118 suspected fraudsters.
On his first day as Secretary in February, Rollins reached out to state governors to request information on food stamp recipients. He highlighted that there has been a nearly 40% surge in recipients since the Biden administration took control. “It feels like they might be trying to influence the election,” he remarked, pointing out that of the 29 states that responded, only two are led by Democrats.
Regarding legal disputes, Rollins indicated that two states have filed lawsuits against them, although he did not specify which ones. As of Monday, the USDA had not responded to inquiries about this matter.
In the context of a lawsuit initiated by 25 states, including Washington D.C., Vermont and Nevada were mentioned as the only states to join a Republican-led effort against Rollins and the USDA concerning the suspension of food stamp benefits during the ongoing government shutdown.
During a press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rollins acknowledged that only Colorado and North Carolina, both Democrat-controlled, have provided the requested SNAP data so far.
Rollins noted, “We’ve looked into about $100 billion in spending and uncovered numerous illegal usages of EBT cards. We’ve been working to keep people who misuse SNAP off the program.” She stressed the need for reform, insisting it’s crucial to ensure that genuine beneficiaries, especially the truly vulnerable populations, receive the help they need, ultimately to serve taxpayers better.
She further claimed that Democrats have prioritized the welfare of illegal immigrants over working Americans, suggesting that should benefits be curtailed, it could lead to a loss of seats for Democrats in the upcoming census.
Rollins concluded by asserting that the administration is committed to tackling waste and fraud within the system, emphasizing that helping hard-working Americans is paramount.
