As a result of a July 20, 2026 immigration-related final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, agency officials will be allowed to deny applications for permanent residency or visa extensions to noncitizens who use school meals and other public benefits like Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In response, The School Superintendents Association (AASA) have said in a subsequent blog post that enforcement of the new rule could have a “chilling effect” on students and schools that frequently act as a “primary safety net” when students lose access to key healthcare and nutrition services.
Due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s (OBBBA) significant cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, DHS has projected $13 billion in savings to the federal and state governments once noncitizens are disenrolled from these programs. But AASA has said those savings could end up costing schools both financially and have an adverse affect on children’s abilities to learn.
Since the OBBBA law took effect in July 2025, the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) estimates that over 5 million people have already lost their SNAP benefits.
DHS said it received 8,846 public comments on its new rule, a majority of which expressed opposition. For more from K-12 Dive, click here.