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Advocates Push for $244M Migrant Food Fund & SNAP Hike
Coalition urges New York Governor Hochul to address federal budget cuts that threaten food security for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.
Jan. 28, 2026 at 5:55pm
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A coalition of lawmakers and anti-hunger groups in New York are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to address federal budget cuts that they say will leave many New Yorkers hungry. The group is proposing a range of measures, including increasing the minimum monthly SNAP benefit, providing safer debit cards to prevent theft, and creating a new food assistance program for non-citizens.
Why it matters
The proposed changes to federal food assistance programs are expected to threaten SNAP access for over 300,000 New Yorkers and cut half of the federal money that states use to run their food assistance programs, potentially leaving many New Yorkers without adequate access to food.
The details
The coalition is asking for $244 million to create a state-funded food benefit for non-citizen households who can no longer receive federal SNAP dollars. They also want to increase the minimum monthly SNAP benefit from around $23-$24 to $100, and $8.5 million to support the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program that helps connect New Yorkers to SNAP. Emergency food providers are requesting $75 million for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and another $75 million for the Nourish New York initiative to support food banks and local farmers.
- The federal budget reconciliation bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, makes legal refugees and asylees ineligible for SNAP.
- Since 2023, over 150,000 families in New York have reported their electronic SNAP benefits stolen, often due to skimming devices on card readers.
The players
Kathy Hochul
The Governor of New York who the coalition is urging to allocate more funding for food assistance programs.
Matt Slater
A Republican Assemblymember who attended the rally to show bipartisan support for addressing hunger issues.
Maritza Davila
A Democratic Assemblymember who linked poverty and the high cost of food to crime.
Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas
A Democratic Assemblymember who spoke about the impact of federal cuts on legal immigrants and refugees.
What they’re saying
“These are the most vulnerable people. These are refugees, asylum seekers, survivors of violence who are immigrants here, who have legal status and were part of the SNAP program. Those folks have been cut.”
— Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Assemblymember
“What can you get for 23 dollars a month these days? Absolutely nothing.”
— Matt Slater, Assemblymember
What’s next
The coalition's budget requests will be considered as part of the New York state budget negotiations for the 2027 fiscal year.
The takeaway
The proposed changes to federal food assistance programs threaten food security for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, highlighting the need for the state to step in and provide additional funding to ensure all residents have access to adequate nutrition.
