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Can lawful permanent residents in mixed-status households receive SNAP in 2025?
Executive summary
Lawful permanent residents (LPRs) can still be eligible for SNAP in 2025 if they meet the program’s income, resource, and immigration-category rules, but the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBB) changed which non‑citizen categories qualify and required states to apply new criteria immediately for new applicants and at recertification for existing cases (Section 10108) [1]. Mixed‑status households remain a common situation where some members (for example, citizen children or qualifying LPRs) may receive benefits while others (undocumented members) remain ineligible; states must still verify immigration status for SNAP participants using SAVE and may exclude non‑eligible aliens from the household count [2] [1].
1. Who among non‑citizens can get SNAP after the 2025 law — the legal baseline
The USDA’s implementation guidance makes clear that Section 10108 of OBBB took effect on enactment (July 4, 2025) and imposes new alien‑eligibility criteria that state agencies must apply immediately to new applicants and at recertification for existing households, and that aliens who do not fall into the newly listed eligible groups must be removed from SNAP participation [1]. The FNS also reminds states to verify immigration status through the SAVE system before certifying SNAP benefits [1].
2. What this means for lawful permanent residents (LPRs)
Available federal guidance indicates LPRs remain a recognized immigration category, but whether a particular LPR is eligible depends on whether they fit the eligible groups defined in the amended Food and Nutrition Act as implemented by OBBB; if an LPR’s status is not one of the newly listed qualifying groups, they must be removed from the household’s SNAP case [1]. In other words, LPRs are not categorically excluded by all sources, but OBBB narrowed or redefined which non‑citizen statuses qualify and requires case‑by‑case verification [1].
3. Mixed‑status households: how benefits are assigned and verified
Advocacy and state guidance explain that mixed‑status households — households with members of differing immigration statuses — commonly include members who are eligible (U.S. citizens, qualifying LPRs, refugees, asylees) and members who are ineligible (undocumented people) [2] [3]. States and counties still determine eligibility for each person, and applicants can apply on behalf of eligible household members (for instance, U.S. citizen children) without having to document or request benefits for non‑applying relatives; programs say you need to report names and incomes for everyone who lives together, but you only provide SSNs/immigration proof for those seeking benefits [2].
4. Practical consequences: household composition and benefit calculations
When a household includes members who are ineligible, states may exclude those individuals from the SNAP household for benefit calculation if the person is not seeking benefits; FNS guidance emphasizes removing non‑eligible aliens from cases when they do not fall into the eligible groups under OBBB [1]. That separation matters because SNAP eligibility and allotments are calculated based on the household members considered part of the assistance unit [2] [1].
5. Administrative and chilling effects reported by observers
Policy analysts and sector reporting warn that the 2025 law’s tightened non‑citizen rules and additional verification steps could deter mixed‑status households from applying or cause delays, even when citizen children or eligible LPRs could qualify — an outcome advocates say may increase food insecurity [4] [5]. Independent sites and advocacy groups reiterate that undocumented people remain generally ineligible while eligible members (citizen children, qualified non‑citizens) can still receive benefits, but the law heightens verification and documentation requirements [3] [4].
6. Where to get authoritative, case‑specific answers
The USDA FNS eligibility page and the FNS memorandum about OBBB’s alien‑eligibility implementation are the controlling federal references and instruct states how to apply the changes; for household‑level determinations, county/state human services offices make final eligibility decisions and use SAVE to verify immigration status [1] [6]. Local legal aid groups and state SNAP offices can advise applicants about how to apply for eligible members without triggering verification for non‑applying household members [2].
Limitations and contested points: available sources document the legislative change and FNS implementation instructions but do not provide a simple “yes/no” that covers every LPR subcategory; whether a given lawful permanent resident qualifies depends on the specific eligibility group definitions in OBBB and the state’s certification process [1].