The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued new instructions to states aimed at tightening eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), ensuring that undocumented immigrants and other ineligible individuals do not receive benefits.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is the largest federal nutrition assistance program in the U.S. It helps low-income families, seniors, and legal immigrants—including many from the Caribbean—afford groceries and maintain food security.
The guidance, released by Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services John Walk, follows an executive order by President Donald J. Trump. Executive Order 14218 directs federal agencies to “enhance eligibility verification systems, to the maximum extent possible, to ensure that taxpayer funded benefits exclude any ineligible alien.”
“President Trump has made it clear that American taxpayers will no longer subsidize illegal aliens,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “We are stewards of taxpayer dollars, and it is our duty to ensure states confirm the identity and verify the immigration status of SNAP applicants. USDA’s nutrition programs are intended to support the most vulnerable Americans. To allow those who broke our laws by entering the United States illegally to receive these benefits is outrageous.”
The updated requirements respond to ongoing concerns about program misuse. In fiscal year 2023 alone, SNAP overpaid $10.5 billion—almost 12% of total program payments—according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Weak identity and citizenship verification by state agencies was cited as a major factor behind these improper payments.
The USDA’s new directive outlines minimum expectations for states to follow:
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Verify applicant identity before checking immigration status.
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Collect and confirm Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for all household members, and cross-check them against the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File.
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Use the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system for all non-citizen applicants, and follow up on any verification prompts before approving benefits.
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Collect immigration documents during the initial application rather than waiting for SAVE to request them.
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Verify U.S. citizenship when claims are questionable, even for those claiming to be born in the U.S.
States are also strongly encouraged to adopt further steps such as multi-question identity authentication, reduce reliance on pre-filled application forms, and conduct more in-person interviews. The SAVE system, now available to states for free, should also be used continuously to monitor changes in immigration status that could affect eligibility.
The USDA warned that the Food and Nutrition Service will closely monitor state compliance through management evaluations. If agencies fall short in verifying identity and immigration status, they could face corrective actions.
“This guidance serves as a foundation for future compliance efforts that will not only deter, but end access to benefits by illegal aliens,” Walk wrote in the official memo. “Benefit fraud is unacceptable in all forms.”
To read the full guidance, visit USDA’s official website or view the memo here (PDF).
