The Food Stamp Program and low-income legal immigrants

Abstract

Editors' note: In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which had as one of its effects the withdrawal of food stamp eligibility for many legal immigrants. The following analysis from the Tufts University Center on Hunger, Poverty, and Nutrition Policy examines the nutritional impact of this legislation on legal immigrants and discusses the arguments for restoration of these nutritional benefits. At press time, the U.S. Congress had just passed legislation to restore food stamp benefits to many legal immigrants.