January 1, States Challenge SNAP Rules for Immigrants

Wyatt’s Take

• States fight new SNAP rule that leaves out legal immigrants
• USDA says new law blocks benefits for many families
• Attorneys general say rule goes too far, hits refugees and others

Over 20 state attorneys general are pushing back against new USDA rules that cut permanent residents and some refugees from food aid programs like SNAP.

They argue the new guidance wrongly bars thousands of lawful immigrants from getting help buying groceries for their families.

The USDA says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act means certain noncitizens are now blocked from SNAP benefits, even if they’ve made the U.S. their permanent home.

States say this new reading of the law goes against what Congress intended, especially for humanitarian refugees and asylum seekers who have become permanent residents.

“The USDA wants states to implement confusing and inaccurate interpretations of the law that would wrongfully deny eligibility for food assistance to thousands of lawfully residing immigrants.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

This rule could mean less money for food for many mixed-status families.

The National Immigration Law Center explains

“In a family with a mom who is a refugee with two U.S. citizen children, the mom would lose SNAP eligibility, but the two children would still be eligible.”

The letter from the attorneys general also blasts the USDA for only giving states one day to make the change, rather than the usual four months.

This puts states at risk for fines if they don’t quickly follow the new rules.

The group worries this will increase confusion at state agencies and keep needy families from getting help.

Most humanitarian migrants become legal residents not long after arriving.

Government numbers show 85% of refugees from recent years and nearly 9 in 10 asylees have become permanent residents.

But the USDA wants them to wait five years before getting food help.

State leaders argue this is unfair and not what Congress meant when it passed the new law.

A USDA spokesperson said

“Secretary Brooke Rollins wants to ensure the fraud, waste, and incessant abuse of SNAP ends.

Rates of fraud were only previously assumed, and President Trump is doing something about it.

Using standard recertification processes for households is a part of that work, as well as ongoing analysis of State data, further regulatory work, and improved collaboration with States.”

In 2024, about 41.7 million people each month depended on SNAP, costing nearly $100 billion a year.

Many states say these new cuts will hurt families who are already struggling to put food on the table.

To keep on top of how Washington’s decisions shape life in Middle America, stay tuned for more straight talk and updates.

Wyatt Matters

Cutting necessary food aid to hardworking, law-abiding families risks leaving neighbors hungry and hurting the very backbone of the country.

Rules that make life harder for folks trying to build a better future go against the values that matter in Middle America—fairness, hard work, and lending a hand to those who need it.

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