DHS said a new nationwide ICE operation has already arrested at least five immigrants in the U.S. illegally who are accused of fraudulently obtaining SNAP benefits.
The agency cast the arrests as the opening phase of a broader crackdown on misuse of federal aid, saying those detained so far are only a small share of the targets it plans to pursue.
Those identified by DHS include four Haitian nationals and one Cuban national; officials said some had prior arrests or convictions unrelated to the SNAP allegations.
Federal law generally bars people in the country illegally from receiving SNAP, and DHS tied the sweep to a wider Trump administration push against fraud in programs including Medicaid, HUD, Social Security and SBA aid.
That broader effort has already produced more than 1,000 major fraud enforcement actions since the Justice Department created its National Fraud Enforcement Division, according to the report.