Policy Statements
Explainer: Federal Food Assistance Eligibility Changes Impacting Refugees and Immigrants
November 21, 2025
What is SNAP and who qualifies for it? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as the Food Stamp Program – provides cash assistance to eligible low-income households to help them purchase groceries. SNAP is overseen federally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is typically administered by state governments (though in ten states, county governments operate …
Leave-behind: Protect Newcomers’ Access to Food in the Wake of SNAP Cuts
View this document as a PDF here. Right now, thousands of refugees and other immigrants seeking safety from persecution are losing access to the federal food assistance benefits that make it possible for them to put food on the table. When Congress passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” it cut off refugees and other humanitarian arrivals from the Supplemental …
Advocacy Guide: Support Refugee & Immigrant Communities As States Implement Federal Food Assistance Cuts
Thousands of refugees and others seeking safety from persecution are losing access to the federal assistance that makes it possible for them to put food on the table. Learn how you can advocate to prevent refugee and immigrant communities in your state from going hungry. Background On July 4, President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) into …
Backgrounder: Congressional Consultations Required by the Refugee Act of 1980
October 20, 2025
The Refugee Act of 1980 established the framework for refugee resettlement and the protection of asylum seekers that remains the core of U.S. refugee and asylum law today. The law requires the president to set a refugee admissions target, or “Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions” (PD) by the end of each fiscal year on September 30 and establishes a process …
Advocacy Guide: Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions
September 18, 2025
September is a critical month for advocacy in support of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and for all those who have been left stranded by the ongoing refugee ban. The federal fiscal year is ending. Before Fiscal Year 2026 begins on October 1, the administration is required to consult with Congress and establish a new target for refugee admissions for …
