Food Over Fear: Overcoming Barriers to Connect Latinx Immigrant Families to Federal Nutrition and Food Programs

Immigrant families, defined as consisting of at least one person born outside of the U.S., face disproportionate obstacles in accessing vital federal nutrition and food programs. This lack of access fuels food insecurity, which has only been compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Over Fear: Overcoming Barriers to Connect Latinx Immigrant Families to Federal Nutrition and Food Programs, published by the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), seeks to explain why so many immigrant families are not using vital federal nutrition and food programs. NILC and FRAC, partnering with state immigrant rights and anti-hunger groups, conducted focus groups with 64 Spanish speaking immigrant parents in mixed-status families and 41 nutrition service providers in four locations (Northwest Arkansas; California’s Central Valley; Denver, Colorado; and Chicago, Illinois) to understand the experiences of relevant stakeholders in accessing federal food and nutritional programs. This research was conducted partly to ascertain the effect of a February 2020 change in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “public charge” rule, which requires DHS to consider use of non-cash benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in determinations of public charge. This change caused fear and confusion, leading many immigrants to disenroll from SNAP and other programs, even those programs not considered in public charge determinations, like school meals and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The researchers found many participants chose not to enroll in federal nutrition and food programs, even when such programs were critical to their wellbeing. Of these programs, SNAP was avoided most frequently: more than one quarter of surveyed immigrant parents reported they chose to stop using SNAP or other programs in the previous two years, fearing immigration consequences. Other problems noted in the report included a critical lack of information and misinformation, language barriers, and transportation barriers. Based on data from the focus groups, the authors recommend immigrant-serving organizations: give clients accurate information on issues like the public charge rule; get the help of trusted community members to disseminate information and assist immigrant families with applications for federal nutrition and food programs; promote policies that help immigrant families feel more secure obtaining federal nutrition and food program assistance; and advocate for policies and programs that address food insecurity among immigrants. (Patrick Bloniasz for The Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute)

Download now or view online.