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Republican Representative Randy Fine has announced he plans to introduce legislation to stop non-citizens from collecting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and other forms of welfare. Why It Matters SNAP benefits are provided to low- and no-income households across the U.S. to help them pay for groceries. Benefits are uploaded to electronic benefit transfer cards, which work like debit cards, and can be spent in participating stores. Just shy of 42 million people collected food stamps in May 2025, the latest month for which data is available. However, due to the ongoing government shutdown, which is now in its 30th day, the prospect of November’s benefits going unpaid is growing closer. What To Know Writing on X, formerly Twitter, on October 29, Fine said: “I am going to introduce a bill to ban all non-citizens from any form of welfare. No Food Stamps. No Section 8 housing. No Medicaid. No Cash Assistance. Not one penny. Not one. If you want free stuff, go home.” An analysis by the Economic Policy Innovation Center has found that in fiscal year 2023, approximately 1.764 million non-citizens received SNAP benefits, costing taxpayers around $5.7 billion. The research draws on data gathered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). I am going to introduce a bill to ban all non-citizens from any form of welfare. No Food Stamps. No Section 8 housing.No Medicaid. No Cash Assistance.Not one penny. Not one. If you want free stuff, go home.— Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) October 30, 2025 Non-citizens can get Section 8 Housing if they have an eligible immigration status (e.g., green card holders, refugees, asylees). Mixed-status families can qualify but benefits are prorated. Temporary visa holders and undocumented individuals generally cannot receive Section 8. Eligibility also depends on income, documentation, and local program rules. Stock image/file photo: Man buying groceries in supermarket. Non-citizens may qualify for Medicaid if they are in a qualified immigration status and meet income rules, and many face a 5-year wait unless exempt (like refugees/asylees). Non-qualified immigrants, including most temporary visa holders and undocumented people, are not eligible for full Medicaid but may get emergency Medicaid. Some states offer broader coverage with state funds. However, data compiled by Newsweek shows non-citizens account for a fraction of SNAP recipients, and consume fewer welfare dollars per person than U.S.-born citizens. In 2019, about half of poor households with U.S.-born members, 50 percent, participated in the SNAP, compared with 47 percent of poor immigrant households in which all members were eligible and 46 percent of those with mixed eligibility, according to Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis. These findings suggest that SNAP participation rates among poor immigrant households were slightly lower than among all U.S.-born households. Julia Gelatt, associate director of U.S. Immigration Policy Program at MPI, told Newsweek that “years of evidence point to the fact that non-citizens use SNAP at lower rates than U.S. citizens.” Fine, who has represented Florida’s 6th congressional district since April this year, recently introduced a bill—Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act to Ban Foreign Citizens from Serving in Congress—that would prohibit those with dual or foreign citizenship from being elected to Congress. What People Are Saying Fine said, regarding his Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act to Ban Foreign Citizens from Serving in Congress bill: “I think it’s a fair argument to say you can only swear allegiance to one country, and if you’re in Congress, that allegiance should be to America. This bill ensures that the people making laws for our citizens are themselves fully committed to our country, not divided between two.” What Happens Next The bill is yet to be introduced to Congress. Meanwhile, the freeze on SNAP funding continues, with both the Republicans and Democrats blaming each other for what is becoming one of the longest government shutdowns in U.S. history.
