Just weeks ahead of the 2026 midterms, the Trump administration has launched a nationwide operation to crack down on illegal immigrants fraudulently collecting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, known to many by the anachronism "food stamps."

The operation, run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to root out waste, fraud, and abuse of federal programs.

“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,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a press release about the operation. “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.”

More than 40 alleged fraudsters across the country arrested or indicted 

The operation has already resulted in several arrests, including four illegal immigrants from Haiti, one of whom was previously arrested for larceny, obstruction of officers, and trespassing. Another, from Cuba, was arrested by ICE and has a criminal history that includes a conviction for disorderly conduct and arrests for battery and domestic violence.

The ICE effort is joined by 13 U.S. Attorney’s Offices, who on Wednesday announced that more than 40 alleged fraudsters across the country were arrested or indicted as part of a nationwide sweep starting on Sept. 1. The actions of the individuals allegedly stole nearly $45 million from the federal government in welfare services, with nearly $42 million of that amount from fraudulent SNAP benefits.

“These schemes siphoned millions from taxpayers and robbed struggling Americans of the benefits they depend on, so fraudsters could use them for their own selfish purposes,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the announcement. “Through our partnership with the Department of Agriculture, this nationwide surge exposed and disrupted criminal networks that targeted vulnerable American families. The Department of Justice will continue working to root out fraud in every federal agency and program.”

Many previous arrests of illegal immigrants obtaining SNAP benefits by using a stolen or false identity were in Massachusetts. In September, Victor Suazo Reynoso, a Dominican national, was sentenced after a guilty plea to using a U.S. citizen’s name, birthdate, and Social Security number to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license, more than $18,000 in SNAP benefits and more than $54,000 health benefits from MassHealth, a state program that combines Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Reynoso was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay restitution to the state welfare agencies, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He faces deportation after his sentence is carried out.

"Under President Trump, DHS is putting the American people first again”: Mullin

A Dominican man unlawfully residing in Salem, N.H., pleaded guilty in May to stealing the identity of an American citizen from Puerto Rico to obtain a U.S. Passport as well as federally funded benefits from Massachusetts. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Juan Felipe Chalas, 58, pleaded guilty to making a false statement in a passport application and unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin this month sentenced him to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release.

These criminal illegal immigrants conspired to defraud taxpayers of more than $1.4 million in public benefits, depriving American citizens of benefits that they needed, Mullin said of the arrests. “After these criminal illegal aliens face justice, they will be swiftly removed from our country so they can never defraud American taxpayers again. Under President Trump, DHS is putting the American people first again.”