New bill could expose information of SNAP applicants to ICE — key details revealed
A new bill tabled in the state capitol in Oklahoma on Wednesday has proposed that the state's Department of Human Services (OKDHS) verify Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants, and refer those found to be residing unlawfully in the U.S. to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The House Bill 4422, introduced by Republican House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, would affect applicants for public assistance programs, including SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). While the bill passed the House seven to one, the Oklahoma ACLU has fiercely opposed it, claiming it will deny thousands, including children, crucial benefits, according to local news station Fox 25.
Under the bill, OKDHS would use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, run by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, for the verification of applicants. If the system flags an applicant as an illegal resident in the country, the OKDHS must notify ICE. "Wanting to improve the verification system of our welfare system, make sure that those recipients of these dollars are in fact American citizens," said Representative Kyle Hilbert, the bill's author. "Welfare recipients should be American citizens, I don't think that is a controversial thing," he added, as per Fox. The bill passed the House Children, Youth and Family Services Committee with no debate or questions, and it has been referred to the Oklahoma House Health and Human Services Oversight Committee.
The legislation is sensitive as SNAP benefits help low-and no-income households to buy groceries, and about 686,800 Oklahoma residents, or 17% of the state's population, claimed benefits in 2024, according to Newsweek. Furthermore, it comes at a time when ICE operations have been under heavy scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month.
Furthermore, the legislation will apply to "child-only" benefit applications submitted by an adult on the child's behalf. In such cases, the OKDHS will be required to verify the immigration status of the adult submitting the application, and if that person is found to be unlawfully present in the country, ICE will be notified. "We firmly believe that children should not be used as pawns to score political points," said Cindy Nguyen, Policy Director for the Oklahoma ACLU, per Fox25. Nguyen added that undocumented Oklahomans are already not entitled to get any state benefits.
As per Newsweek, non-U.S. citizens can only qualify for SNAP if they fall into specific immigration categories and meet the income and work requirements. However, in households with mixed immigration status, U.S. citizen children still qualify to receive benefits. Nguyen argues that the bill will impact such children. "The difference between what this bill would've done is that recorded adults applying for child-only applicants, children that are U.S.-born that have citizenship status, would've lost access to it because parents may be too afraid to re-enroll or even opt out of these state benefits," she told Fox25. Further, the ACLU claims the bill has changed from its original version, and they will closely monitor it throughout the sessions.
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