USDA Secretary Rollins Instructs Agency to Stop Illegal Immigrants From Getting Food Stamps

Brooke Rollins, who was confirmed as agriculture secretary earlier this month, said the directive follows the president’s Feb. 19 executive order.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins arrives to speak to the press outside the White House on Feb. 14, 2025. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Freshly confirmed Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has directed the agency to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving food stamps, according to a letter issued on Feb. 25.

Rollins instructed the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) “to immediately clarify and enforce all rules restricting its beneficiaries to U.S. citizens and legal residents only,” a press release from the agency explained.