DHS Launches Nationwide ICE Operation Targeting Illegal Immigrants Accused of SNAP Fraud: 'The Opening Salvo'

The Department of Homeland Security has launched a nationwide Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation targeting illegal immigrants accused of fraudulently obtaining food stamp benefits, announcing a first round of arrests and calling them "the opening salvo" of a sustained effort, Fox News reported Tuesday night.

ICE confirmed the operation to Fox News and said several people living in the country illegally were arrested on accusations that they fraudulently received benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

"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, according to Fox News and the New York Post. "These programs are for Americans only. Even non-violent illegal alien crime can still have devastating consequences when they're defrauding the American taxpayer."

Mullin said those already arrested and deported were "just a drop in the bucket," and that the administration would keep pursuing people accused of fraud.

'The Opening Salvo,' DHS Says

DHS identified several of those arrested, including four Haitian nationals and a Cuban national, some of whom the department said had prior arrests or convictions, according to Fox News and the New York Post. The Digital Free Press is not naming them; DHS did not say whether any of them has been charged in court.

"These arrests mark the opening salvo in a sustained, large-scale ICE operation specifically targeting illegal aliens who have fraudulently accessed SNAP benefits that American taxpayers fund exclusively for U.S. citizens in need," DHS said in a statement, according to Fox News.

"Every one of these individuals entered the country unlawfully, then proceeded to draw from a program designed to feed struggling American families, in some cases while carrying criminal records," the agency said.

Federal law generally bars immigrants living in the country illegally from receiving SNAP benefits, although certain categories of lawfully present noncitizens may qualify, Fox News noted.

Part of a Wider SNAP Fraud Push

The operation comes amid a broader administration crackdown on alleged misuse of federal benefits. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance unveiled a Justice Department program that pays cash rewards for tips leading to fraud charges, as The Digital Free Press reported.

Fox News reported Wednesday morning, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Vance is expected to announce that the federal anti-fraud task force he leads has identified about $40 million in alleged SNAP fraud and more than 40 suspects, with criminal charges to be unveiled. That announcement had not been made as of publication.

According to Fox News, the task force has reported more than $600 million in SNAP fraud uncovered so far, with more than 1,000 retailers banned from the program for violations including trafficking in benefits. The Digital Free Press could not independently verify those figures.

SNAP is a federally funded program that helps eligible low-income households buy groceries. Benefits are loaded monthly onto an electronic benefits transfer card that can be used at authorized retailers.

Image: ICE officers during a June 2025 operation in Los Angeles, file photo; Department of Homeland Security / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

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Sources: Fox News, "DHS launches ICE operation targeting illegal immigrants for SNAP fraud" (Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.foxnews.com/us/dhs-launches-nationwide-ice-operation-targeting-illegal-immigrants-accused-snap-food-stamp-fraud ; New York Post, "DHS launches nationwide ICE operation targeting illegal immigrants accused of SNAP food stamp fraud" (Oct. 21, 2026): https://nypost.com/2026/10/21/us-news/dhs-launches-nationwide-ice-operation-targeting-illegal-immigrants-accused-of-snap-food-stamp-fraud/ ; Fox News, "JD Vance task force set to charge 40 defendants in $40M SNAP fraud case" (Oct. 21, 2026): https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vance-led-task-force-unveil-charges-40-plus-defendants-alleged-40m-snap-fraud ; The Digital Free Press (Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.thedigitalfreepress.com/post/trump-vance-fraud-whistleblower-program-whip