Illegal aliens in San Francisco have reportedly begun abstaining from food stamps in the belief it will help them avoid being detecting by the Trump administration.
In fact, so many residents have turned against food stamps that “the city is concerned.”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, local Human Services Agency director Trent Rhorer has noted that “households with one illegal” are wondering how much information will reach administration officials if they use food stamps, also known as CalFresh. Eligible families also wonder “whether the administration will cut food stamp benefits to immigrants.”
Rhorer is upset by the tension. He said, “[Eligible families] are putting their household in further jeopardy of not being able to pay the rent, or not being able to pay utility bills because they have to buy food. These are benefits they are entitled to receive, and they’re playing by the rules. They shouldn’t be penalized by this negative commentary coming out of the White House.”
In the last two months the number of households withdrawing from food stamps has been well above the norm. For example, the normal drop rate is less than 60 households a month, yet “150 households withdrew from the program in March and April alone.”
Families where children are legal residents but were born to parents who came here illegally are most prone to drop CalFresh at this time, the Chronicle reports. But the city has made clear that the only people who have to provide information are the family members who apply for benefits. That is reportedly intended to limit the amount of information shared with the federal government.
Under the Obama administration, Breitbart News noted at the time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture paid to run advertisements in Mexico promoting U.S. food stamps so that when illegal aliens came to the U.S. they would be able to access the benefit.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.