IMPORTANT UPDATES, YOUR RIGHTS & RESOURCES

🛒 Food Stamps (SNAP)

Before: Adults who are qualified immigrants generally had to wait five years before accessing SNAP. However, this five-year ban didn’t apply to children, refugees, and some other humanitarian immigrants.

After: Only citizens, green card holders, Cuban-Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants are eligible. All others are excluded. The five-year ban remains for adults. All other immigrants, including those with humanitarian status, are now ineligible for SNAP. 

👶 Child Tax Credit (CTC)

Before: Children with a Social Security Number (SSN) could receive the CTC even if one or both parents filed taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

After: The new law permanently enforces the 2017 ban, excluding children from families with ITINs from accessing CTC. Over 2 million citizen children are affected, as at least one parent must now have an SSN.

🏥 Health Insurance via Marketplace (ACA)

Before: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) excluded people earning below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) from Marketplace coverage, assuming they’d get Medicaid. Since many low-income immigrants legally in the U.S. couldn’t access Medicaid, ACA allowed an exception to provide subsidized Marketplace coverage.

After: This exception is repealed. Many low-income immigrants will now be ineligible for both ACA and Medicaid, losing all access to affordable insurance.

🏥 Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP

Before: Some immigrants could access Medicaid and Medicare (after 5 years of residence or with work history). Humanitarian immigrants, children, and pregnant women had access in most states.

After: Only select categories remain eligible. Many humanitarian immigrants are now excluded. “Emergency Medicaid” will receive reduced federal support. Only limited categories will remain eligible — at the discretion of the state. Most will lose access.

🚑 Emergency Services

Before: Emergency care was reimbursed by the federal government at a higher rate.

After: States will receive reduced funding for care for uninsured immigrants — likely resulting in service cuts.

🎓 Higher Education

Before: Education tax credits (AOTC, Lifetime Learning Credit) were available to ITIN filers.

After: Now, all students must have a Social Security Number. Without it, no tax credits will be granted.