Recent Policy news

We’re breaking down three things you need to know about the impact of this new law on our welcoming community:

1. The law allocates funding for increased immigration enforcement, potentially impacting newcomers who have recently lost or will soon lose their legal status.

What happened: The law includes $126 billion for border and immigration enforcement to hire personnel and other resources needed for increased enforcement and for family and adult detention.

What it means: Because of recent policy changes and court decisions, newcomers may have recently seen a change in their legal status and could be targeted for detention or deportation. The Supreme Court recently allowed the government to terminate humanitarian parole status for people who were sponsored into the U.S. through the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program. Other newcomers also have lost their status due to recent policy changes including ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans and Venezuelans.

If you know a newcomer whose primary status is or may be terminated, they should consult our guide to navigating alternative legal status, seek legal counsel immediately, and carry appropriate documentation including a signed Form G-28, which can be used to show that they are represented by an attorney. Newcomers also can consult this resource to understand their rights in the event of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) encounter.

2. The law increases new fees for immigration applications.

What happened: The law creates new or higher fees for immigration applications, including for employment authorization and asylum. For the full fee structure, click here.

What it means: Newcomers will face new financial barriers to applying for legal status and work authorization. For example, this is the first time the U.S. has charged asylum seekers an application fee, which is initially $100 and an additional $100 every year their application is pending. Given the significant processing backlog, asylum seekers may have to pay many years of application and employment authorization fees before getting a decision on their case.

3. Many newcomers will lose access to public benefits including food assistance and healthcare.

What happened: The law terminates public health benefits including Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for refugees and other newcomers who have sought safety in the U.S. and have legal status. Legal permanent residents (aka green card holders) will remain eligible for benefits.

The law also excludes refugees, asylees, and other newcomers from receiving food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Only green card holders, Cubans and Haitians who entered the U.S. through humanitarian parole, and people residing under a Compact of Free Association are eligible to access SNAP.

What it means: Many newcomers will lose access to publicly provided healthcare coverage and food assistance. Food assistance benefits could expire at their next recertification. Healthcare coverage will expire at a different time depending on the program.

• Healthcare access via Medicaid and CHIP will be revoked Oct. 1, 2026.
• Healthcare access via the ACA will be revoked Jan. 1, 2027.
• Healthcare access via Medicare will be revoked Jan. 27, 2027.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program remains paused, but if it were to resume admitting refugees to the U.S., they will not be eligible for food assistance and the healthcare programs they’ve historically accessed until they acquire a green card, which they receive one year after arrival in the U.S.

Visit our policy-updates page to learn more about the latest impacts to newcomers and our welcoming community.