The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in coordination with several federal agencies, today issued a formal notice clarifying its interpretation of the term “Federal public benefit” under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA).
The updated interpretation affirms that individuals in the country illegally are not eligible for certain federal benefits, including those administered by the USDA, such as the popular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program.
This move is part of a broader push by the USDA under Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who vowed to curb what she called “waste, fraud, and abuse” of taxpayer-funded programs.
“The generosity of the American taxpayer has long been abused by faulty interpretations of 1996 welfare reform law,” said Rollins. “Today’s notice makes clear its intent—illegal aliens should not receive government dollars.”
The new guidance builds on several recent actions taken by the Department:
On April 24, USDA instructed all states to enhance identity and immigration verification protocols in determining eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
On May 6, USDA directed state agencies to share all SNAP records with the federal government to ensure real-time analysis and improve transparency.
These actions are part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to implement Executive Orders 14218 (“Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders”) and 14243 (“Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos”).
New Jersey administers SNAP to nearly 800,000 residents.
The state Department of Human Services will now be expected to review and potentially revise eligibility verification procedures in light of USDA’s April and July directives. Additionally, state agencies must begin sharing comprehensive SNAP data with federal officials.
Last week, New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, whose departments administers the SNAP program, slammed the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, outlining the deep consequences the bill will have on the state’s food assistance programs.
The OBBB also includes a new state cost-sharing mandate that could force New Jersey to contribute an additional $100 to $300 million—or risk losing the program altogether.
State officials have not yet commented on how they plan to implement the new federal guidance.
These are the irony years. Those that harvest our food cannot afford to eat. Let just one frum Jew attempt to live and work as a field worker in agriculture for a year and then give me an opinion on SNAP benefits for ag workers.
Let the Americans who collect welfare do the work. Problem solved. Or you can personally take on the responsibility to feed them.
maybe it’s about time the working middle class can afford to live and not having to pay all these taxes to support the mostly non working people
Illegals aliens have never qualified for SNAP because to qualify for SNAP you need a social security number and they do not have one. Only children and adults who are American citizens qualify for SNAP
The Democrat sontrolled areas create loopholes for these criminals to get the benefits. They won’t help us, only criminals.