Emily Kresowik, a board member for Des Moines Refugee Support, recently helped a refugee family from Afghanistan submit paperwork to recertify their eligibility for food assistance.
Then, she got a call from a state health official who told her the family is no longer eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Kresowik said she was shocked.
“It is so frustrating and angering, and I, like, started shaking,” she said.
The tax and spending law signed by President Donald Trump in July, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, included new restrictions on SNAP eligibility based on immigration status. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), refugees, people granted asylum and many other categories of immigrants with legal status are no longer eligible for food assistance. A USDA letter dated Oct. 31 directs states to immediately implement the restrictions for new SNAP applicants and people seeking recertification.
Kresowik said she has become close with the family from Afghanistan over the past few years. The father was a medic in the Afghan army, she said. She helped them through the legal process of getting asylum, meaning the U.S. government determined the family has a credible fear of returning to Afghanistan.
She said the family has six kids, with the oldest in middle school and the youngest at home with their mom.
“And dad works a full-time job and clears about $32,000 a year, and sometimes works overtime, and now they’ve lost their eligibility,” Kresowik said.
They may be able to regain SNAP eligibility by becoming lawful permanent residents, also known as green-card holders.
But that process can take years, Kresowik said, and some families can’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars for each family member to get a required medical screening.
She said the Afghan family submitted their green card applications in October 2024 and has yet to receive a decision.
“And so for many families, even if they’ve had the resources to file, they just haven’t been approved yet, and so now they’re not eligible for food stamps,” she said.
The USDA ordered states to enforce the new restrictions during the longest government shutdown in history and as SNAP benefits have been paused for all Americans who qualify.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which administers SNAP, did not respond to IPR’s request for comment.
Iowa's 4th District Congressman and governor candidate Randy Feenstra has said he helped write the tax provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill. He was asked why blocking SNAP for certain immigrants was included.
“What we wanted to do is make sure those that are here illegally should not get SNAP benefits,” Feenstra said. “Again, we have to think about who’s paying into the tax fund, and that is all the taxpayers of Iowa and this country, and we have to take care of them first.”
Refugees and people granted asylum have legal status.
