Three Big Lies About Immigrants and Fraud, with Sonya Schwartz

From the first moments of his first campaign for president, Donald Trump has accused immigrants of fraudulently obtaining public benefits, immigration protections, and even votes. Does any of this hold up under scrutiny?

We asked Sonya Schwartz, who knows more than just about anyone about the complex intersection of immigration, public benefits, and voting laws. She has the data to debunk all three of MAGA’s big lies about immigrants and fraud, and how this scapegoating leads to policies that harm all of us – from millions of families losing food assistance to voter ID laws that would block U.S. citizens from the polls. Meanwhile, some of the country’s worst actual fraudsters are getting pardoned instead of prosecuted.

==Learn More==

Amanda, Claire, and Doug express their own personal opinions on The Melting Pod. This episode was produced by Michael Palmer (⁠palmer.media⁠). Read more about the topics in this episode:

* What to know about Nick Shirley, the YouTuber alleging day care fraud in Minnesota - NPR (Dec. 2025)

* Right-Wing YouTuber Behind Viral Minnesota Fraud Video Has Long Anti-Immigrant History - The Intercept (Dec. 2025)

* Trump repeats claim of $19 billion in Minnesota fraud. Here's what the numbers show. - Star Tribune (Feb. 2026)

* When a president calls human beings ‘garbage’ - Maine Morning Star (Feb. 2025)

* Questions and Answers About the 75-Country Visa Ban Lawsuit - Center for Constitutional Rights (Feb. 2026)

* At least 3.5 million people have lost food stamp access as Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ cuts take effect, analysis finds - CNBC (May 2026)

* Brett Favre and the Mississippi welfare case explained - ESPN (May 2023)

* Judge blocks feds from using immigration database to check voter eligibility - Texas Tribune (June 2026)