Key Takeaways:
Refugees, asylum seekers, and human trafficking survivors without a green card lost SNAP eligibility as of April 1 in Illinois and several remaining states under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates 90,000 people will lose SNAP benefits in an average month due to the noncitizen provision alone, receiving roughly $210 monthly from 2026 to 2034.
USDA data shows 96% of SNAP recipients are U.S. citizens, and Iowa's SNAP enrollment has hit an 18-year low while food banks report record-breaking demand.
Refugees, asylum seekers, and human trafficking survivors without a green card lost access to SNAP food assistance as of April 1 in Illinois and several remaining states. The eligibility restrictions are part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Congress and President Trump approved in July 2025 and which represents the largest cut to SNAP in the program's 60-year history at $186 billion over 10 years.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates 90,000 people could lose SNAP eligibility in an average month because of this provision. Those individuals would have received about $210 monthly from 2026 to 2034. States including Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska implemented the changes last fall. Minnesota and Illinois were among the last to comply.
The USDA's own data undermines the fraud rationale used to justify the cuts. Ninety-six percent of SNAP recipients are U.S. citizens. Nearly 90% are U.S.-born citizens. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins framed the changes as targeting "illegal aliens," but undocumented immigrants have never been eligible for SNAP benefits, according to the American Immigration Council.
The impact is already visible. In Iowa, SNAP enrollment has fallen roughly 6% since last summer and sits at an 18-year low, according to Luke Elzinga with the Des Moines Area Religious Council's Food Pantry Network. Food banks in the state report record-breaking demand simultaneously. "What's the end game?" Elzinga told NPR's Harvest Public Media.
The noncitizen restrictions layer on top of expanded work requirements that now cover veterans, homeless individuals, former foster youth, parents with children over 14, and adults ages 55 to 64. The CBO estimates 2.4 million people will be cut from SNAP in a typical month over the next decade from all provisions combined.
The pattern here is hard to ignore. Government food infrastructure is contracting at the same time demand is accelerating.
People Also Ask
Q: Can refugees still get food stamps in 2026? A: Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, refugees and asylum seekers without a green card are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits. They can become eligible again after obtaining lawful permanent residency.
Q: How many people will lose SNAP benefits under the new law? A: The Congressional Budget Office estimates 2.4 million people will be cut from SNAP in a typical month over the next decade, including 90,000 per month from the noncitizen provision alone.
Q: Are undocumented immigrants eligible for SNAP? A: No. Undocumented immigrants have never been eligible for SNAP benefits. The new restrictions affect legally present immigrants such as refugees and asylum seekers.
Q: What is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? A: The OBBBA is federal legislation signed in July 2025 that includes $186 billion in SNAP cuts over 10 years, expanded work requirements, and noncitizen eligibility restrictions. It is the largest cut to the program in its 60-year history.
Sources:
NPR/Harvest Public Media: Immigrants Lose Access to Food Aid
WYDE: SNAP Cuts Could Kill 70,000 Americans as Iran War Threatens 45 Million More Worldwide
WYDE: Food Banks Hit Record Demand Nationwide as SNAP Cuts Take Effect
WYDE: TSA Agents Visit Food Pantries at Airports Five Weeks Into Government Shutdown
WYDE: Feed the Children: How $415 Million in Annual Revenue Becomes 15 Million People Fed
WYDE: Farm Bill Advances Without Reversing Largest SNAP Cuts in History