DHS Launches Nationwide Operation Targeting SNAP Fraud by Illegal Immigrants
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports multiple arrests as part of a larger effort to combat welfare program fraud.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has initiated a nationwide operation targeting illegal immigrants accused of defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), leading to multiple arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that individuals in the country unlawfully should not be utilizing SNAP benefits. "These programs are for Americans only," Mullin said. "Even non-violent illegal alien crime can still have devastating consequences when they’re defrauding the American taxpayer."
DHS has identified several individuals accused of SNAP fraud, including multiple Haitian nationals. Among those arrested are Rubstony Junior Theodore, a Haitian national allegedly living illegally in the United States, who faces prior arrests for larceny, obstruction of officers, and trespassing. Three other Haitian nationals living illegally in the U.S. — Wilbert Jean Baptiste, Louis Jean, and Jhensly Charles — were also apprehended.
Elizabeth Povea Rodriguez, a Cuban national residing illegally in the U.S., was also arrested as part of the operation. Her past legal record includes a conviction for disorderly conduct and arrests on allegations of battery and domestic violence.
DHS characterized the operation 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."
Federal law generally prohibits immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from receiving SNAP benefits, though certain lawfully present non-citizens may be eligible. DHS indicated that the administration would continue to pursue cases of alleged SNAP fraud as part of a broader initiative against the misuse of federal benefits. The Department of Justice has also reported over 1,000 major fraud enforcement actions nationwide since the establishment of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, aimed at protecting taxpayer funds across programs like Medicaid, SNAP, HUD, Social Security, and SBA.