Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
980-290-7282
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, July 16, 2026 — The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) public charge rule released today will deepen fear and uncertainty among immigrant and mixed-status families who are already struggling to put food on the table. The rule ignored comments submitted to DHS by FRAC and 724 other organizations that warned of the harm it would cause in deterring immigrants from accessing critical assistance for which they are eligible.
For more than two decades, U.S. immigration officials have explicitly reassured that participation in federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) would not affect the ability to become lawful permanent residents. Yet the rule now reverses longstanding existing policy and practice meant to interpret the public charge law.
As a result, families who are legally eligible for SNAP, WIC, and other nutrition programs are likely to forgo benefits out of fear. We have seen this chilling effect before, and we know it leads to more food insecurity, which negatively impacts educational outcomes for children and increases economic hardship for families and local communities.
No parent should have to decide between feeding their child and pursuing lawful immigration status. FRAC urges Congress to take action by passing the LIFT the BAR Act, which would restore access to SNAP and other public programs by eliminating the five-year bar and other restrictions that deny critical care and assistance to lawfully present immigrants. We must continue to put food over fear to ensure every eligible child and family can access the nutrition programs they need to thrive.
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The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.