Thousands of refugees and immigrants in Illinois are set to lose access to federal food assistance as new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility rules take effect on April 1, according to a Mar. 31 report.
The changes stem from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a large spending package passed by Congress in July 2025. The new restrictions follow expanded work requirements for SNAP recipients that affected hundreds of thousands earlier this year. SNAP is a federally funded program serving low-income families; nearly 42 million people participated last year, including about two million in Illinois.
Under the updated rules, most humanitarian visa holders will no longer be eligible for SNAP benefits. Green card holders and certain other immigrants remain eligible if they meet specific criteria such as length of residency or special status. Undocumented noncitizens were never eligible for the program. The eligibility change will apply at each beneficiary’s next reassessment after April 1.
Groups losing eligibility include refugees, asylees, some victims of human trafficking and violence or torture survivors. An estimate from HIAS suggests up to 250,000 refugees and humanitarian visa holders nationwide could lose benefits due to these changes. In Illinois alone, about 14,000 legally present immigrants may be affected according to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).
Local organizations and government agencies are working to provide support for those losing benefits. Borderless Magazine has compiled a list of neighborhood food pantries and mutual aid groups offering free groceries by ZIP code. Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order in November directing city resources toward food access programs in response to the eligibility changes.
Cook County Health offers resources for people facing food insecurity due to health issues with pantries available at several locations including Belmont Cragin Health Center and Provident Hospital; another pantry is planned at Robbins Health Center soon. “We’ve enhanced work that we had already begun,” said Shannon Andrews, chief equity and inclusion officer at Cook County Health. “This was work that was important and near and dear to our hearts prior to this change.”
Additional information on finding local food assistance can be found through WeGotYouIllinois.org/find-food or via IDHS listings.
