No, SNAP Benefits Aren’t Mostly Used by Immigrants

As astir 42 cardinal Americans look nan nonaccomplishment of nutrient stamps this weekend, far-right influencers, extremists, and conspiracy theorists are utilizing nan situation to push racist disinformation astir who receives these benefits.

As a consequence of nan authorities shutdown, nan Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not beryllium funded arsenic of November 1, according to a connection connected nan website of nan US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers nan program. While this nonaccomplishment of benefits could beryllium catastrophic for millions, that hasn’t stopped nan unreserved of disinformation. A number of conspiracy theorists and right-wing influencers are claiming that immigrants are nan main recipients of nutrient stamps, while AI-generated videos connected TikTok push racist stereotypes of Black group demanding much benefits.

These claims simply do not align pinch reality, fixed that nan mostly of group who person SNAP benefits are achromatic Americans, according to information collected by nan USDA. The information besides shows that deep-red states for illustration Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana are among those pinch nan highest percent of nutrient stamp recipients.

“These narratives are being circulated to propose that undeserving groups are getting nan bulk of SNAP benefits and truthful to make nan suspension of SNAP benefits look for illustration little of a crisis,” says Tracy Roof, a governmental intelligence astatine nan University of Richmond. “The reality is that nan overwhelming mostly of recipients of SNAP are group calved successful nan US, and galore are successful families pinch children aliases are aged aliases disabled. Of those capable to work, astir do.”

A floor plan posted by an influential far-right X relationship pinch nan surface sanction “The General” has boosted this conspiracy theory, suggesting that nan immense mostly of group successful receipt of benefits are non-white immigrants, pinch Afghan, Somali, and Iraqi US residents making up nan apical 3 expected recipients. This chart, which was initially published successful June connected a website called nan Personal Finance Wizards, according to PolitiFact, is wholly fabricated. The USDA does not cod nan ethnicity of SNAP recipients beyond wide categories for illustration White, African American, and Hispanic.

USDA information shows that almost 90 percent of SNAP recipients are American-born citizens. 1.1 percent of recipients are refugees, and 3.3 percent are different noncitizens.

The General’s station has been seen 6.3 cardinal times and has been wide shared by different people, including influential right-wing podcaster Matt Walsh, who quoted nan station connected X and wrote: “We import nan 3rd world and unit working-class Americans to provender and location them astatine gunpoint. Civilizational suicide.” Other posts that besides shared nan floor plan were shared hundreds of thousands of times. X did not respond to a petition for comment.