NY SNAP for All

Step 1: Learn about our NY SNAP for All proposal

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest and most impactful anti-hunger program in the United States, providing nearly 3 million New Yorkers with an average benefit of $6.20 per day. After initial pilot programs in 1939 and 1961, the SNAP program as we know it today was passed in 1964 as a part of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society Program (see a history of SNAP here). To date, SNAP remains one of the most effective ways to provide families dignified access and a choice of healthy food. Unfortunately, this vital program is not available to many immigrants.

Access to healthy food is a fundamental human right. Alongside our push to expand federal SNAP eligibility to everyone who has need, WSCAH is asking for a State-funded food benefits to households currently ineligible for the SNAP program due to immigration status, equal to the allotment for similarly situated SNAP-eligible households. By removing immigrant exclusions, we can ensure that every New Yorker experiencing hunger has the food they urgently need.

Step 2: Find your representatives

New York City

Find your local representative using your current address or location.

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You can also send a message directly to Valerie Figueroa, Deputy Commissioner of Employment and Income Support Programs. Deputy Commissioner Figueroa is responsible for the development, implementation and oversight of policies and procedures related to state and local social services district administration of numerous mission-critical programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Deputy Commissioner Valerie Figueroa
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
40 North Pearl Street
Albany, New York 12243
Email: [email protected]
General Telephone: 518-473-1090

New York State

You can find your state representative’s contact information on this NY State assembly website using your street and city address.

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House of Reps & Senate

You can find your national congressional representative and senator contact information on the Congress.gov site using your street and city address.

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Step 3: Take action

Below is some proposed language. Feel free to customize it with your own thoughts on the issue. When complete click the copy button and paste it into your email program.

Subject: Urgent Support for Expanding Food Benefits to Immigrant Households in New York State

[Deputy Commissioner Figueroa or NYS Representative Name],

I am writing as a concerned citizen to urge you to support critical changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and to push for a new state-funded initiative to address food insecurity for immigrant households in New York. Although SNAP has long been the largest and most impactful anti-hunger program in the United States, currently supporting nearly 3 million New Yorkers. However, due to current federal restrictions, many immigrants in New York, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and certain visa holders, are ineligible for these essential benefits.

I urge you to support two measures with the potential to improve these dire circumstances for both food insecure families and the city of New York:

1. Federal Expansion of SNAP Eligibility: Immigrant exclusions from SNAP have been in place since the program’s inception in the 1960s and must be lifted to alleviate the strain on local resources. Expanding SNAP eligibility at the federal level to include all residents, regardless of immigration status, would ensure that every household can access food security. I urge you to raise your voice in support of The Lift the Bar Act (H.R. 4170, S. 2038) in the current Farm Bill package, which would restore SNAP access for lawfully present immigrants by removing the five-year waiting period and other barriers to SNAP eligibility.

2. Creation of a State-Funded Food Benefits Program: In the absence of federal change, we are asking for your support for creating a New York State funded food assistance program that would provide benefits equal to SNAP for households ineligible due to their immigration status. By offering this support, we can ensure that no New Yorker—regardless of citizenship status—goes hungry.

This proposal is a critical step to provide immediate relief to food-insecure immigrant families and reduce the financial pressure on New York City. Removing immigrant exclusions from food assistance programs will not only protect our most vulnerable residents but also bolster public health and economic stability for the state as a whole.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this urgent issue. I urge you to advocate for both federal and state solutions to ensure that every New Yorker has the food they urgently need.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] 
[Your Address] 
[Your Email] 
[Your Phone Number]