America’s taxpayer-funded welfare system was built to protect struggling citizens — not to bankroll those who broke our laws and violated U.S. sovereignty to get here. Yet the just-concluded government shutdown further exposed how millions of illegal aliens are now tapping into benefits that hardworking Americans depend on to survive.
One of the more unfortunate consequences of the record-long shutdown, which finally concluded last week, was a lapse in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning on November 1. Although the Trump administration has now directed states to “take immediate steps” to ensure families receive their full November benefits, many were forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying rent or utilities. Some food banks reportedly saw demand surge as much as 1,800 percent.
More than 42 million people in nearly 23 million households receive benefits through SNAP, which cost taxpayers about $100 billion in 2024. But while many of those recipients are Americans in need of a helping hand, the shutdown also highlighted shocking levels of fraud and abuse in the program – including illegal aliens receiving benefits.
Under federal law, illegal aliens are ineligible for SNAP and most other federal welfare programs. The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, also known as “welfare reform,” signed by President Bill Clinton, ostensibly bans illegal aliens from receiving public benefits.
But in reality, millions of illegal aliens are on SNAP and other taxpayer-funded benefit programs, either through direct fraud or by exploiting glaring loopholes in the law. Many illegal aliens have children who were born in the United States, allowing them to claim benefits in their child’s name.
The principle is simple: if someone comes to this country – especially illegally – they should not be a drain on safety nets designed for and paid for by law-abiding Americans. Even if a child is an American citizen by birth, that does not change the fact that his parents are here in the country without the ability to support themselves or their children, burdening American taxpayers.
A 2023 report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) on widespread SNAP abuse by illegal aliens began making the rounds online earlier this month as debate over the program ramped up. “Of households headed by illegal immigrants, CIS estimated that 59 percent use one or more welfare programs — cash, food assistance, Medicaid, or housing,” CIS found.
“In particular, our analysis found that 17 percent of illegal immigrant households used SNAP,” the report reads. In raw numbers, that means five to seven million illegal aliens are getting free money from American taxpayers, costing billions of dollars annually.
“In addition to food programs, 18 percent of illegal immigrant households were enrolled in one of the cash programs; 4 percent were using a housing program; and 39 percent used Medicaid,” CIS reported.
The report predates other shocking revelations about the cost of illegal immigration to U.S. taxpayers. A 2024 Congressional Budget Office report found that “the Biden-Harris Administration’s open border agenda cost federal and state taxpayers more than $16.2 billion to provide Medicaid-funded emergency services to illegal aliens since taking office,” according to the U.S. House Budget Committee.
“This is a staggering increase of 124% compared to the same period under the Trump Administration,” the House Budget Committee said.
Even more shockingly, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has reported that some states are actively trying to hide SNAP fraud. “On my first day @USDA, we told every state to send us their SNAP data so we could make sure illegal immigrants aren’t getting benefits meant for American families,” Rollins posted on X a day after SNAP funding expired…”29 states stepped up. 21 blue states refused — and two SUED US FOR ASKING!”
The issue of illegal aliens on welfare “raises important policy questions, including whether it makes sense to have an immigration system that allows in so many people who turn to taxpayers to support their children,” Steven Camarota, director of research for CIS, pointed out in a new commentary.
America’s immigration system is incredibly generous, with more than 180 types of visas available for all sorts of special cases. The country can accept a limited number of truly desperate individuals who are fleeing severe poverty, but the primary focus of our system should be to attract the best and brightest who make our country wealthier and more prosperous – and who arrive here through legal channels.
As Vice President JD Vance has so eloquently put it earlier this year, citizens should first take care of their own family, then their neighbors, and then their country. Millions of Americans, even those in the ever-shrinking middle class, are struggling to make ends meet and deal with a growing affordability crisis.
They shouldn’t be forced to shell out their hard-earned tax dollars to pay for individuals who have no right to be here in the first place. They also shouldn’t be asked to feed and clothe the rest of the world when they can barely put food on their own tables.
Matt Lamb is an associate editor for The College Fix. He previously worked for Students for Life of America, Students for Life Action, and Turning Point USA. He previously interned for Open the Books. His writing has also appeared in the Washington Examiner, The Federalist, LifeSiteNews, Human Life Review, Headline USA, and other outlets. The opinions expressed are his own. Follow him @mattlamb22 on X.
These welfare programs seem to be growing, first it was food stamps then WIC and now SNAP. But it doesn’t stop with food, there’s section 8 housing, free cellphones, free internet, discount electricity, free healthcare and the list keeps growing. Is it any wonder that these magnanimous handouts attract deadbeats, illegals and criminals?More than that, it’s a democrat calling card to support the political party of free stuff, just vote for us and we’ll make sure it continues. The left doesn’t want voter Identification or anything that points to the legal status because they can’t exist without a dependent society. People who are needy are easily manipulated and dems know it. Democrats have become the democrat socialist party of america.
I AM SO TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT FRAUD AND MISUSE DO SOMETHING DAMN IT
Well, it is about time to fix the law with different welfare systems that are in effect so fraud, waste and abuse can be ended. Those states that do not comply with the Federal government about how the Taxpayer money is being used — should lose those benefits until those states comply and thorough investigation can be conducted. It is highly possible that some taxpayer money is ending up in corrupt politician’s pockets rather than feeding the needy.
Those who fo not support Pres Trump’s deportation of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S are enemies of the people and state who these illegals are stealing from!!
I support welcome and donate to causes assisting LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, do don’t call me out as a xynaphobic who hates foreigners. Just the opposite, however, I detest those who lie about the good intentions of those of us who want to protect our country from these illegals, most who are being deported, have committed crimes, from theft, to rape, murder and other dispicable crimes.
It is astounding that one out of every eight people in the US is entitled to SNAP benefits. That doesn’t paint a great picture of our economy. Of course, by flooding our nation with illegal aliens, the Biden administration was accomplishing a Democratic Party goal: expand the population of sanctuary states and cities so that those entities are entitled to more representation in the House of Representatives. Allowing illegals to collect SNAP benefits is a wink and a nod to achieving that goal.
It blows my mind that the welfare fraud is a big surprise that no one seems to have noticed until now. It has been quite obvious to me and my circle for all of my adult life and I’m 55. They need to take a good look at disability as well. Both SSA ad VA.
Shocker, not. Democrats pushed this and the GOP, like the illegally open southern border, did essentially nothing to stop it. Sickening. I want more and better choices for America.
Right on sir. Nobody that is here.Illegally should have access to government funds and the people that are giving it to them should be put in jail and not ever allowed to gain political office again
4 million? I suspect the number is MUCH higher than that! Think about it, there are probably 50 plus million illegals in the US, some have been here for decades. They likely work, but does the rest of the now much larger family? If they are illegal, then have American born children, that’s 18 years of public benefits. The blue states MUST be forced to release their data. I know that my state of Oregon spent 43 million on Medicaid in 2023-for non-citizens! They refuse to give SNAP data to USDA but according to a recent Newsmax story, 57% of those on SNAP are illegals/non-citizens. Its just like all the other laws which aren’t being enforced!!
This is one of the new reasons illegal immigrants want to come to the U.S. They are not coming here to start a new life and work at a job where they can earn a lot more than they could in their country. They come here to feed off of our welfare systems and our tax payers so they don’t even have to work. Not all of them but way too many. And then there are the criminals who seemingly can commit any kind of heinous crime and not even be removed from our streets because of the radical liberals “justice system” that has increased tenfold. These are the “poor, souls yearning to be free”….ha, ha, the joke is on us. Biden’s cabal literally begged these people to come and live for free and kill and maim our citizens so they can possibly vote for our radical liberals. The radical radicals are now attacking our ICE agents who want to get rid of the worst illegal alien criminals. They are showing the world how much they hate this country and its citizens while the worst of their ilk are getting elected in our sick, blue cities. Wake up, people. We must turn this tide.
Well….how’s that for irony, karma and poetic justice?
If these “brilliant fools” hadn’t decided to play hard ball, their cat probably would have remained in their bag.
For those 21 states who do not want to provide SNAP data, a simple answer. Stop sending them the funding. When all other states can comply with the request in order to clean up the problems, then those 21 states should get no SNAP payments going to them. Surely, in our government, somebody with sense and knowledge, should be able to program or “flip the switch” to those particular states. Comply or do without.
Not only did the ignorant, corrupt, lying, stubborn MEGA CORRUPT, HABITUALLY LYING DemoRAT’s come away with NOTHING, BUT UP-Chuckie’s Shutdown just exposed to the rest of the world, and what We the People ALREADY KNEW, all the FRAUD that these DemoRAT-run, TAXPAYER-PAID FREE-BEE programs have within them. Just about as many INELIGIBLE CROOKS are on them as the truly needy are.
IT IS WAY PAST TIME TO AUDIT EVERY GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE (FREE-BEE) PROGRAM OUT THERE, BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE!!!!. AND IT NEEDS TO START NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO MORE LOSSES for the DemoRATS. And their party just, like the Fake News medias, has LOST ALL PUBLIC TRUST and is on LIFE-SUPPORT.
The GRIM REAPER is standing by……………….
& More waste & fraud too GO DOGE
Food Stamps/SNAP/Welfare etc. have long been used illegally. You would think with computers these days it would be easy to find people committing fraud. I worked at DFCS a long time ago and employees there absolutely did not care. I always believed it would be beneficial to have more caseworker/investigators and set them up with an incentive to do the right thing. Maybe rotate their caseloads so if another inspector determined the first invesitgator didn’t do their job, that investigator would be fired and the whistleblower given a bonus. Years ago they said that benefits would no longer be increased for people that have more children while on welfare and food stamps. Well, all I could tell is they changed the name of the program. I found all kinds of abuses of government programs, but who do you report it to when supervisors don’t care?
Well, now they know, but what is going to be done about it? Probably NOTHING. This has to be the most do-nothing government we’ve ever had. They worry more about the Epstein files than anything else.
We need to return to welfare for American citizens only! WHO ARE IN NEED! IN OTHER WORDS HANDICAPPED OR FOUND UNABLE TO WORK.
DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS! THEY ARE NOT CITIZENS!
I don’t shop inside grocery stores often because of seeing the 4′ tall Guatemalan mothers buying their food with SNAP and WIC because it means that I am paying, not them. It irks me, as an 81 year old widow, to be paying for their groceries when I can’t afford to buy for myself.
Figures, all Blue States, with California leading the way, and their Governor wants to be President. From what I’ve seen, he couldn’t lead a Cub Scout Pack…
Is anyone actually surprised? If the Democrats are involved in it it’s either illegal, unethical, or against everything this country was founded on. How’s the Democrats can constantly take the side of criminals and illegal aliens over law-abiding American citizens is beyond me. And the liberal media covers for them. Their Day of reckoning is coming. It will not be through the court system because that is corrupt. Their Day of reckoning will come when our savior Christ Jesus comes back. And guess what there will not be a liberal Democrat district federal court judge that will declare the second coming of Christ Jesus to be unconstitutional.
The democrats are evil. They allow millions of people into our country criminals, drug smugglers, ISIS followers, Hamas members, Iranian cartels Chinese spies and pay for their food, housing, education and health care over the American citizen. Thereby bankrupting America and now they are screaming affordability. The democrats took that away. Through fraud and paying for 30 million people because they came from a poor country. That is not emigration that is destroying a country. Legal immigrants were never allowed government assistance even when they had children born in America. The burden was on the parent not the benefits on the children but that is how the democrats interpret SNAP laws. 2 states sued them because the federal government asked to provide numbers. That is what democrats do. Because the court system has been corrupted to be pro democrats. Every time they halt every investigation which is later overturned. In meantime anti Trump headlines on MSM. We are not the United States of America anymore. Just like the EU isn’t working and is close to collapsing so is the US. You can’t bring in 30 million people and expect them to find a job housing and pay for all of this themselves. We used to have quotas of legal immigrants coming in. So many visa were allowed. But these people who have come in under Biden nobody knows where they are, are they healthy do they have a criminal record do they belong to a subversive group. And now thry talk affordability. They destroyed America, the poor are poorer, the middle class is poor, upper middle class is now middle class and the democrat millionaires in the House and Senate are on their way to being multi millionaires. And America is broke. 7 weeks of shut down by the democrats has made this perfectly clear. Globalizing America is doing well. Let’s stop them before we have to learn Chinese and Tampon Timmy is our president.
Come on Mr. President and Republican leaders, CLEAN HOUSE on these programs. No excuses. DO IT NOW! Rehire Elon and his team and get deleting!! NOW
The Marxist Democrats tried to turn us into 3rd world Europe
It is shocking the amount of fraud that exists within the illegal alien community. My question, re Medicaid, is how to hospitals, urgent care centers and healthcare providers handle illegal immigrants when they show up at their door?
Democrats are despicable. They are in effect creating a socialist state right under our noses, and half the country doesn’t even care. They are creating a dependent electorate who then in turn votes them into power so that they can exploit the Nations treasury for their benefit. Unfortunately conservatives are too complacent to fight for their country. SAD.
MEDICARE , WHICH I WORKED 40 YEARS PAYING INTO COASTS ME $ 185.00 A MONTH , THEN IF I WANT EYE & DENTAL THAT’S $ 44.00 PER MONTH EXTRA & THE DENTAL JUST TOLD ME MY CROWN WHICH IS $ 1265.00 WASN’T COVERED , SO I DROPPED THE EXTRA INSURANCE . THEN THE GOVERNMENT TAKES TAXES OUT OF MY SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS , STATE & FEDERAL …. AM I TICKED WHEN ILLEGALS & DEAD BEATS GET ALL THEIR STUFF FREE, YOU BET I AM . NOW MY SS CHECK IS DOWN TO ABOUT $1100.00 A MONTH , THAT IS NOT MUCH .. I AM THANKFUL I HAVE THAT & WORKED TO OWN THE ROOF OVER MY HEAD . TIME TO STOP THE GRAVY TRAIN TO THE ILLEGALS …
Every state that refuses to submit their SNAP data to make sure illegals aren’t getting it should be targeted even more by ICE, intensively, and very soon in those states require all SNAP recipients to show up in person, and submit ID to ICE agents to get those benefits. If they don’t like it, they can elect new state government. Then ICE can grab illegals trying to get SNAP benefits, or they will be scared to show up to get them, either way we don’t pay for them. Sorry for the legal citizens who really need and deserve SNAP benefits, but your governments love for spending your tax money on illegal aliens is not shared by the rest of the country or taxpayers. This as to stop. I paid in to SS and income taxes all my working life. Illegals didn’t pay into anything. Get them out of here.
When your governors, mayors, NGOs, Congress demoncrats try to shame you by claiming they’re taking care of ILLEGALS out of the ‘goodness of their (our $) hearts,’ (Biden’s constant “That’s who we are” favorite BS line), hear it for what it is–outrageous lies meant to ‘shame’ us for objecting to them robbing us for their own purposes; that being self-interested, outright evil for illegal VOTES. They think we’re all stupid. They obviously don’t care about us citizens–forcing us to finance our own literal INVASION & then support our actual INVADERS, while being robbed, raped & horrifically murdered daily. So WHY would they care about 20 million 3rd World, non-English-speaking border crashing opportunists, EXCEPT FOR THEIR OWN OPPORTUNISTIC PARTY VOTES? Seriously. Stop letting them BS you. Call them out every day.
Let’s face it–there is massive fraud in EVERY government program. The more people enrolled in the various programs means more UNION government employees. So why would they be looking for fraudsters? Throw in all the states which grant illegals in-state tuition as well. Illegals are a lot better off than our lower-tier Americans!
The only way to insure illegal aliens are not receiving benefits meant for US citizens is to have everyone re-apply for the benefits AND the workers who take the applications and determine eligibility need to RETURN to the office. If you don’t sit face to face with applicant then you don’t know who is apply for aide. Working from home doesn’t get it.
Quite honestly, I do have sympathy for some illegals. But at his point, the country is worn out with it. We are fed up with hearing about the crying hearts over arresting and deporting people who are not supposed to be here. And now, too, we have been informed of benefits for US citizens that are being used by illegals.
My question! Do we actually have a country with laws? I find it offensive when I see and hear people who live here crying over deporting illegals!
Ah, me. SAME BS, different day. Nothing gets done, or happens. Tomorrow will be exactly the same. The gubmint of the USA just keeps rolling along…..
one day this was brought home to me. I was in line for the emergency dept at our local hospital. In front of me was an illegal, hiding his little child. When they asked him why he was there, he replied “my child needs her stitches removed. Basic ER charge $3000., probably more. But, they have to treat, anyone. If he brought her to a doctor, he would have to pay, maybe $300. But, at the hospital, we pay, not him. Yet, if the hospital gives me so much as a Tylenol, I pay $30., because Americans have to be responsible for our own debts.
wake up america they also do this with loans to the world
FJB and his minions.
This really makes me angry. And what makes me angrier is how the shutdown was continued to try to keep illegals able to tap into the system. My son works hard but still depends on SNAP for feeding his family, including three children. His wife is at home with a four-year-old but was babysitting for another mother with two about his age. The mother lost her job so the babysitting job ended so their increased need for food stamps. When we discovered they might not get their full amount in November, if they got anything, we prepared ourselves to step in and help out. When we discovered they got half what they usually get we gave them the other half. Few people have the ability to do what we’ve done so many would be seriously struggling to put food on the table. The only reasons the Democrats decided to end it was that if the American people discovered American children were suffering for the Democrats’ pandering to illegals, the die would have been cast for the 2026 mid-terms. Although I’m not for sure about that since I still can’t believe the success the Democrats had in the recent elections. Even suffering people can’t seem to avoid stupidity when it would serve them better to wake up to reality. But I do know that the decision to end the shutdown by the Democrats was purely political. Nothing compassionate about it.
Where does the word “charity” appear in the Constitution of the United States?
Will there be reparations for this? I sincerely doubt it.
So one again democrats put illegals above the needs of american citizens. If ss fails and my benefits stop be ause democrats have given 750000 or more illegals ss benefits. I will have to commit suicide because i am disabled and cant live on the street. I paid into ss for 50 yrs both the employer and emplyee sides of almost 14% of my income .I hope enough seniors will arm themselves with at least 2 bullets and serve justice on 2 democratic politicians. These treasonist bastards dont deserve any better.
States that refuse to provide SNAP data should not be receiving SNAP funds until the data is provided. What is the problem? Seems like common sense!
There are a lot of discussion points here. First, the 14th Amendment and anchor babies. The intent of the Amendment was to ensure citizenship for the children of slaves, not scumbags who sneak into the country and pop their babies out to steal citizenship. If you are not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof”, you and your babies are not citizens. By the convoluted logic of the lefties, children of diplomats and invading armies would then be citizens.
Where in the constitution does it say that the federal government is responsible for providing food, shelter, etc., to anyone? If someone can point this out, I would be grateful for the information.
When my ancestors came from Europe, they had to have sponsors and show that they could support themselves and their families, and were subject to a health examination. What happened to that?
I understand that there are people who depend on assistance for food, etc. Why not give them MREs? If it’s good enough for the military, it’s good enough for them.
I call your attention to 2 Thessalonians 3, where Paul says that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. I find it hard to believe that all 42 million SNAP recipients are unable to work, especially those who are cranking out babies continuously. I wholeheartedly support requiring everyone to reapply for benefits and requiring able-bodied persons to work. Their kids get free breakfast, free lunch, and a backpack of food for the weekend. Let’s cut out the junk food and steaks and pass the food responsibility back to the private sector. As for the actual EBT mechanism, why is anyone worried about these takers being embarrassed to use food stamps? If you’re so offended by having to publicize that you are on the dole, get a job. Earn your own money and buy your own food.
C’mon AMAC, it’s not like we didn’t already know this stuff was happening……a better news story would be putting the cuffs on the people committing this fraud…..oh wait, that means you would have to build a whole new jail for congress.
Any state that refuses to comply with Brook Rollins request, need to immediately be cut from all monies coming from the federal government. Sometimes a shut down is a good thing. I recall what we learned during the COVID closing of all our public schools. The virtual program revealed some of the wrong teachings in our class rooms. Just a thought
No accountability, on oversite why do the people managing these government giveaways even get paid. Alway taking advantage of the hardworking taxpayer. JMO
Only democrats and their DEM politicians should have to pay for all the illegals aliens they allowed to come into our country. A special TAX on the democrats.
So much of this fraud seems to be a repeat of an old story. Two brothers, one a builder and a hard worker, named Abel. The other, a wandering hunter named Cain.
Our country is in big trouble. If the illegals weren’t able to tap into out welfare system, then maybe they would return from where they came from. I feel sorry for some of these people, but we can’t take care of us on little on them too. I understand they are not allowed to work in our country and are not to get any benefits, so why are they hanging around. We have this and people better start look at countries that have people who have infiltrated our country like Chinese single men of military age, Muslims who chant death to America even here in our country and they are infiltrating our government 1 office at a time. There are a lot already elect to local, state and federal government already. They mean harm to our country and people better take heed before it is too late.
STOP calling them illegal immigrants, they are INVADERS, STOP sugar-coating their status, and call them for what they really are – INVADERS! That would make the job of ICE a lot easier.
brings back memory In 1978 we lost family job . income was gone and no job yet.
We were born in 1939 and 1941 so thought we could get some help for our two children.
We were asked if we had a car…We said yes a very old one.. Sorry cannot help you
came the reply. Needless to say for about a week family that lived many miles away helped us Thankful a job was found and we survived. I think it is written if you don’t work you don’t eat.. Shame on those taking away hard earned $$$ that so many Americans need to help. Life is hard for many.
Sometimes you have to break something to fix what’s wrong.