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Federal government SNAP freeze for Michigan recipients impacts local immigrants

A woman wearing a hijab holding her head.
Mikhail Nilov
/
Pexels
A woman wearing a hijab holding her head.

The federal government is freezing SNAP for Michigan recipients until state officials hand over data on the names and immigration status of all participants.

Barbara Cecil is the Development Director for SOS Community Services in Ypsilanti. She says the suspension of SNAP benefits has raised concern in the community.

She says lately some of their immigrant clientele have been requesting SOS's home visiting food and resource services out of nervousness about possible ICE encounters. She says Michigan shouldn’t be forced to choose between helping immigrants and keeping SNAP.

“That puts the state lawmakers in a rough bind, doesn’t it, as they want to protect all Michiganders and they want to feed all Michiganders.”

Cecil says SOS will help immigrants and others in the community impacted by this freeze. She adds their pantry requires no ID to visit or to acquire food.

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Ana Longoria is a news reporter for WEMU.
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