Pramila Jayapal / Wikimedia commons

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on June 24 introduced legislation to restore access to federal healthcare, nutrition, and other public benefits for lawfully present immigrants by removing longstanding eligibility barriers.

The Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration (LIFT the BAR) Act, introduced by Jayapal, (WA-07), and co-led by Rep. Rob Menendez, (D-N.J)., seeks to remove barriers from programs including Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

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If enacted, the legislation would eliminate the five-year waiting period that currently applies to many lawful permanent residents, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and other legally present immigrants seeking access to these federal programs. 

It would also reverse eligibility restrictions imposed under Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill”, which denied food assistance and health coverage to several categories of immigrants with legal status, including Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients and DACA recipients.

"For too long, Republicans have painted immigrants as the boogeyman while they actively pass legislation to undermine healthcare and nutrition assistance for everyone. It's not immigrants cutting your healthcare, it's Republican lawmakers," Jayapal said in a statement.

"Today, our legislation works to end Republicans' xenophobic crusade by reversing the arbitrary barriers that make it harder for lawfully present immigrants to use federal support programs, which they pay into through their tax dollars," she added.

Menendez said immigrant families play a vital role in communities across the country and should not be excluded from programs they help fund.

"Immigrant families in New Jersey and across the country are integral to our communities, our workforce, and our economy, and it's unacceptable to lock them out of the benefits they help fund," Menendez said. 

"I'm proud to join Rep. Jayapal in co-leading this effort to reverse the Trump Administration's extreme anti-immigrant restrictions and remove arbitrary barriers to assistance that helps immigrants support their communities and families and access the American Dream,” he added.

According to the lawmakers, Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill" reduced federal healthcare spending by nearly $1 trillion and cut about $200 billion from nutrition assistance while restricting access to Medicaid and SNAP for certain lawfully present immigrants. 

They said the restrictions built on a 1996 law that established a five-year waiting period for many legal immigrants seeking federal assistance.

The sponsors said the policies have left many lawfully present immigrants without access to healthcare and nutrition programs, including an estimated 105,000 children.

Beyond restoring eligibility for Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF, and SSI, the bill would allow benefits eligibility to be determined based on the income and resources actually available to sponsored immigrants. It would also limit states' ability to impose additional restrictions on qualified immigrants while restoring flexibility for states and local governments to provide benefits using their own funds.

The legislation received support from immigrant advocacy and policy organizations.

"All children and their families, regardless of where they were born, deserve access to the supports they need to thrive, including health care and food assistance," said Wendy Chun-Hoon, president and executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy. "The LIFT the BAR Act restores that access for lawfully present immigrants, including those who were wrongfully and cruelly excluded from coverage due to last year's budget reconciliation bill."

Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, said recent federal policies have left hundreds of thousands of immigrants without access to basic services.

"Removing cruel restrictions on public programs would correct an injustice and represent an important step toward ensuring all of us have the freedom to thrive," Matos said.

Maddie Geschu, director of policy and advocacy for the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition, said the legislation would reverse restrictions that are already affecting immigrant families and communities across the United States.

The LIFT the BAR Act has attracted nearly 100 Democratic co-sponsors from the House of Representatives.

Discover more at New India Abroad.