U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Brooke Rollins announced that she directed officials to block illegal immigrants from receiving food stamps and other taxpayer benefits.
The move serves to honor President Donald Trump’s executive order titled, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”
In a letter addressed to “State, Tribal, Territorial, and Local Government Partners,” Rollins said that “illegal aliens in the United States should not depend on taxpayer dollars to take care of their needs. President Trump’s Executive order reaffirms this important national policy–and puts the needs of Americans first.”
She wrote that the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will “work to revise public messaging so that information about program eligibility is accurate and does not encourage illegal aliens to use public benefit programs. The FNS will further work to deter fraud.
Discussing the executive order, Rollins noted that she is “confident its implementation will help feed low-income Americans, improve program integrity, and exercise sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”
Trump’s February 19 executive order states that “numerous administrations have acted to undermine the principles and limitations directed by the Congress through the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).
“Over the last 4 years, in particular, the prior administration repeatedly undercut the goals of that law, resulting in the improper expenditure of significant taxpayer resources,” the order says. “My Administration will uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.”
The order further asserts that no taxpayer-funded benefits are to be provided to “unqualified aliens.”
