MAGA-aligned Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) — who is running for governor in Wisconsin with President Trump’s endorsement — is being slammed for his reaction to a Chicago Times article that reported, “Roughly 16,000 immigrants may lose access to crucial food assistance in Illinois as a result of federal eligibility changes that took effect April 1.”
Tiffany replied to the article, “Weird. I was repeatedly told by Democrats that immigrants can’t get welfare.”
More than one X user condemned Tiffany, including former New Yorker financial journalist James Surowiecki, who replied, “Who claimed that legal immigrants were not eligible for SNAP?”
Others chimed in: “Undocumented * You absolute boob” and “You realize that immigrants can be legal?” Another commenter mimicked Tiffany: “Weird. I was told that members of Congress could read and comprehend instead of just vomiting up racist talking points.”
[NOTE: While many objectors to Tiffany’s statement distinguished between undocumented and documented immigrants, noting that the latter pay taxes into the system they may receive benefits from, it’s also true that undocumented immigrants pay into the system, with Reuters reporting: “Undocumented immigrants paid nearly $97 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022, according to a July 2024 report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), which used data on taxpayers with ITINs to estimate tax revenue.”]
Weird. I was repeatedly told by Democrats that immigrants can’t get welfare. https://t.co/qf4RsLvxhZ
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) April 12, 2026
Tiffany will face one of the seven Democratic candidates, including Mandela Barnes, the former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor and state representative, in the election to replace incumbent Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, who declined to seek re-election to a third term.
Barnes supports comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship and enhanced border security, while Tiffany is actively opposing Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar‘s (R-FL) Dignity Act, claiming it provides amnesty for undocumented immigrants. Tiffany’s assessment contradicts Salazar, who says the Act “ends 40 years of amnesty” and does not provide citizenship or federal assistance.
Salazar told her fellow House Republicans: “Call this ‘amnesty,’ and you’re not just wrong, you’re locking America into the same broken system.”
[NOTE: According to PBS Wisconsin, “With two-thirds of Democratic voters polled saying they are undecided, each voter the candidate convinces has a chance to influence an even larger audience.” The Democratic primary is August 11.]