Supporting Immigrants & Expanding Access to Nutritious Food

Access to healthy food is a basic human right, yet many legally present immigrants in Massachusetts are excluded from federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. An Act Establishing Basic Needs Assistance for Massachusetts Immigrant Residents aims to restore state-funded SNAP to ensure immigrant families can put food on the table.

What Does the Act Do?

This bill would reinstate state-funded SNAP benefits for legally present immigrants, including:

• Asylum seekers, DACA recipients, and victims of violence who are ineligible for federal SNAP.
• More than 5,000 families who lost benefits after funding ended in April 2024.
• a continuation of past state programs, which provided assistance from 1997–2002 and again briefly in 2023.

Why It Matters

• Food insecurity harms families, especially children’s health and development.
• Investing in food assistance supports long-term success.
• Without funding in the FY25 budget, immigrant families are left without critical support.

A mother from New Bedford shared this story with The Southcoast Food Policy Council:

My youth was a bit painful, and when I was a young immigrant, I became a mother for the first time when I
was 15 years old. By the time I was 19, I had four children. I could not provide financially for them and
had to depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which was a blessing, but at
the same time, it was not enough. I also depended on going to church pantries for food. I appreciated
SNAP because feeding minors is essential for growth. Now, all of my children have finished high school
and are professionals. I would not have achieved this if I had not had the support of SNAP. Investing in
food is one of the most valuable humanitarian weapons we have to help families.

How You Can Help

• Support Immigrant Families – Advocate for the reinstatement of state-funded SNAP to help legally present immigrants access nutritious food.
• Contact Legislators – Urge state representatives to support An Act Establishing Basic Needs Assistance for Massachusetts Immigrant Residents.
• Raise Awareness – Share stories and data about food insecurity among immigrant families to build public support.
• Engage with Advocacy Groups – Partner with organizations working to expand food access and support immigrant communities.

Everyone deserves access to nutritious food—let’s make it a reality for all Massachusetts residents.