U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has begun a nationwide operation targeting people living in the country illegally who authorities say fraudulently obtained Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, as the Trump administration expands its scrutiny of federal food assistance programs.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the operation on Wednesday, describing the arrests as the “opening salvo” of what it said would be a sustained, large-scale ICE operation.
The arrests are the latest in a series of Trump administration enforcement actions targeting alleged fraud involving immigrants and noncitizens, ranging from SNAP benefits and sham marriages used to secure green cards to illegal voter registration and voting.
SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides monthly assistance to eligible low-income households to purchase food. SNAP served an average of 42.1 million participants per month in FY 2025. Federal spending totaled $101.7 billion, and benefits averaged $187.94 per participant per month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Who Did ICE Arrest For Alleged SNAP Fraud?
DHS identified those arrested by ICE as Cuban national Elizabeth Povea Rodriguez and Haitian nationals Rubstony Junior Theodore, Wilbert Jean Baptiste, Louis Jean, and Jhensly Charles.
The agency said Rodriguez had previously been convicted of disorderly conduct and arrested on battery and domestic violence allegations. It also said that Theodore had previous arrests for larceny, obstruction of officers, and trespassing.
DHS said all five entered the United States unlawfully and subsequently accessed SNAP benefits. The agency's announcement, however, did not specify the amount of benefits allegedly obtained by each person, describe how they allegedly accessed the program, or identify SNAP-related criminal charges against them.
“Illegal aliens who have no right to be here in the first place are the last people who should be using SNAP benefits and other forms of welfare," Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
“These programs are for Americans only. Even non-violent illegal alien crime can still have devastating consequences when they’re defrauding the American taxpayer. The illegal alien fraudsters that we’ve already arrested and deported are just a drop in the bucket, and the Trump Administration is committed to going after all these thieves and bringing them to justice.”
SNAP Fraud Crackdown
The announcement came the same day the Justice Department, the Department of Agriculture and USDA's Office of Inspector General announced a nationwide crackdown on SNAP and other USDA program fraud. Between September 1 and October 21, the agencies, 13 U.S. attorneys' offices and the Utah Attorney General's Office took action against more than 40 defendants whose alleged or proven schemes accounted for nearly $45 million in intended federal losses. Nearly $42 million involved SNAP benefits, according to the Justice Department.
The largest case cited by prosecutors involves Jorag Yaseen and Rami Kanaan, who were indicted in Ohio over an alleged $29.7 million scheme. Prosecutors allege the pair operated authorized food stores in Chicago and processed thousands of transactions using stolen EBT account information between February 2024 and April 2025, making the transactions appear to be legitimate food purchases. They have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Other cases included an alleged $4.4 million SNAP scheme involving Mercedes New, a rapper and social media influencer also known as Shawty Dred, and a $1 million alleged scheme in Ohio in which defendants were accused of exchanging SNAP benefits for cash, marijuana, and other ineligible items. The nationwide effort also included cases that had already resulted in guilty pleas or sentences, including an Oregon conspiracy involving stolen SNAP benefits used to buy infant formula and other food for resale.
The Justice Department said Rodolfo Armando Fernandez Guzman, a Dominican national, allegedly used a U.S. citizen’s stolen identity to obtain $22,402 in SNAP benefits, along with more than $144,000 in MassHealth and Section 8 benefits, and to obtain identification documents and driver’s licenses in Massachusetts and Arizona.
The USDA Office of Inspector General reported 2,192 convictions arising from SNAP-related investigative work between 2015 and 2024. This figure includes cases involving retailers and other actors and does not represent convictions of SNAP recipients alone.
The new enforcement efforts come as SNAP participation has fallen sharply following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), citing USDA and state data, reported that participation fell by more than 5 million people, or nearly 13 percent, between the law’s enactment in July 2025 and June 2026, reaching its lowest level in 17 years.
The 2025 reconciliation law made significant changes to SNAP, including tighter eligibility rules and expanded work requirements. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which opposed the changes, has argued that the law likely accelerated the decline in enrollment and said the decrease could not primarily be explained by an improving economy.
Benefits are delivered electronically through electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, accounts, and recipients can use EBT cards to purchase eligible food from authorized retailers.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and Emma Lee-Sang