San Diego Nonprofits Prepare for Surge as Non-Citizens Lose CalFresh Access
Starting April 1st, several non-citizen groups will no longer be eligible for CalFresh in San Diego. This includes refugees, asylees, and individuals with deportation or removal withheld. The change has been a long time coming, and organizations like Feeding San Diego have been preparing for its impact since the legislation passed last July.
Feeding San Diego is a nonprofit that works with a vast network of community partners and operates its own food distribution programs. The organization collaborates closely with the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, which estimates that around 13,000 people in the county could be affected by this change. However, the loss of benefits won’t happen all at once. Instead, individuals may lose their eligibility during recertification processes, making the impact gradual. That said, if someone’s immigration status changes—such as becoming a lawful permanent resident—they might still qualify for CalFresh benefits.
Carissa Casarez, senior communications manager for Feeding San Diego, highlighted that certain areas are particularly vulnerable. “In areas where we see large populations of refugees and asylees—like City Heights, El Cajon—those are areas where we’re primarily concerned because we know they are high populations of people who are here legally but are non-citizens and now no longer going to be able to access CalFresh,” she said.
Despite the changes, food distribution organizations are committed to ensuring that vulnerable residents aren’t turned away. Assistance is available to all individuals in need, regardless of their documentation status. “At many of our food distributions, you don’t need to provide information; it’s available to whoever needs it, and we don’t want to turn people away—we are here to help,” Casarez explained.
But this isn’t the only change that will affect people. Starting June 1st, another set of eligibility requirements will go into effect. Later this year, there will also be a shift in costs to states, meaning the federal government will pay less for SNAP benefits. This change could have a significant impact on state budgets and whether or not states can continue to fund these programs that so many people rely on to buy groceries. Additionally, the USDA will no longer be able to increase the cost of these benefits moving forward.
Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas, a nonprofit community farm and education center, operates a “pay what you can” farm stand offering fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruit twice weekly. The organization is preparing for increased demand as these changes take effect. Adam McCurdy, Director of Farm Production and Distribution at Coastal Roots Farm, said, “So here when we have fear stricken through our community on April first, we’re going to have HR1 actually hit the ground, and all of those marginalized communities who we are open to and have been encouraging to serve day in, day out for the last 10 years are going to be hit harder than we or any food bank is even going to be able to provide.”
The county encourages affected individuals to submit renewal paperwork on time to ensure their eligibility is reviewed properly. Applicants should verify that their contact information is up-to-date and respond promptly to any communications from the county. Additional resources are available through the county’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.
