How Much SNAP Money Do Illegal Immigrants Get In New York?

How much do illegal immigrants receive in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits?  As the Trump administration ramps up deportations of undocumented immigrants all over the country, his supporters have said illegal immigrants are taking advantage of welfare programs like SNAP.

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Republicans are currently finding ways to cut or limit SNAP benefits for New York families who rely on them to eat. Republican Texas Representative Keith Self introduced the Funding is Zero for Zero Nutrition Options. Many people seem to take issue with not only families receiving SNAP, but also with what the money gets spent on. The bill introduced in Congress by Rep. Self would prohibit the purchase of any "carbonated beverage that contains more than 1 gram of added sugar, artificial sweetener, or flavoring per serving," according to MSN.

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One thing I always see in the comments is that some New Yorkers are upset that illegal immigrants are getting SNAP benefits that could be given to families in the state. According to a report by the New York State Comptroller's Office in 2023, approximately one in ten New York households experienced food insecurity between 2019 and 2021. At the end of December 2022, there were nearly 2.9 million New York families enrolled in SNAP.

How Much Money Do Illegal Immigrants Get From SNAP

When it comes to illegal immigrants in New York, contrary to popular belief, they cannot receive SNAP benefits. SNAP is a federally funded program administered by states. According to the SNAP benefits website, only immigrants who are in New York lawfully can receive SNAP benefits, not undocumented immigrants.

"Only U.S. citizens and certain lawfully present non-citizens may receive SNAP benefits. SNAP is not and has never been available to undocumented non-citizens."

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While immigrants in the state illegally are not eligible for SNAP, those who are here legally may be eligible for SNAP.

The following non-citizens are eligible for SNAP benefits with no waiting period:

- Refugees
- Individuals granted asylum
- Victims of severe trafficking
- Deportation withheld
- Amerasians
- Cuban and Haitian entrants
- Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants (SIV)
- Certain American Indians born abroad
- Hmong or Highland Laotian tribal members
- Compacts of Free Association (COFA) citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau

The following non-citizens are eligible for SNAP benefits after a five-year waiting period:

- Lawful permanent residents (LPR) or Green Card holders
- Those granted parole for a period of at least one year
- Conditional entrants
- Battered non-citizens

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