Basic food benefits for Massachusetts refugees and immigrants!
The Republicans’ harmful Megabill -enacted through budget reconciliation on July 4, 2025 - strips away federal food assistance (SNAP benefits) from thousands of legally present immigrants. Once implemented, this takes federal SNAP benefits away from low income people granted humanitarian protections, including persons admitted to the U.S. as Refugees, granted Asylum, and certain victims of Domestic Violence or sex or labor Trafficking - all living lawfully in the U.S. and paying taxes. Massachusetts projects that roughly 9,600 Massachusetts residents who who granted these humanitarian statuses may lose their benefit.
In addition, thousands of other legally-present immigrants with work authorization and/or pending statuses remain ineligible for SNAP benefits. State-funded SNAP ended in April 2024.
The MA Legislature and Governor must authorize additional funding for the program to restart. Please continue sharing your stories with the Legislature for funding in 2025. Take Action.
BACKGROUND: On December 4, 2023 the Massachusetts Legislature passed and Governor Healey signed into law a supplemental budget that included $6M in funding for legally present immigrants to qualify for state-funded SNAP benefits. This was a huge victory for the Feeding Our Neighbors Campaign! DTA started issuing state SNAP in mid February 2024. By late April, about 5,000 families put food on the table with state SNAP. However, DTA had to end state SNAP for all 5,000 families due to lack of funding.
On July 4, 2025, Congress included a provision to cut off SNAP benefits to thousands of immigrants with humanitarian protections - immigrants welcomed to the U.S. fleeing persecution or within the U.S. fleeing domestic and other violence. For the first time in our history, we are turning our backs on thousands more vulnerable immigrants.
Next steps: Continue to contact your State Rep and Senator.
Share with them how the loss of state SNAP has or will impact immigrant families in your communities.
Urge them to co-sponsor House Bill 207 and Senate Bill 117. See Fact Sheet here. You can also submit written testimony to the Joint Committee on Children and Families through early November.
Ask your Rep and Senator to support funding this current state fiscal year 2025 and for fiscal year 2026
For resources on federal SNAP rules for immigrant families, click here.