Ukrainians living in the US have had their food allowances cut after the Trump administration changed regulations on conditions for receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Hope for Ukraine charity fund director Yury Boyechko said that about 300,000 Ukrainians are currently residing in the US, most of whom have received SNAP subsidies, with an average of about 210 USD per person or 1,000 USD per month for families with young children.
According to Mr. Boyechko, since the end of October, many refugees have begun to receive official notices that the SNAP program will only apply to US citizens, permanent residents, Cubaans, Haitians and individuals residing under thehood Treaty. Those who are not in these groups will be eliminated from the program.
The change comes from the "big and beautiful" One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) signed by Trump in July, which aims to cut federal aid to those living in the US under temporary protection or humanitarian amnesty. These are two types that many Ukrainians have been granted since 2022.
The US government said the adjustment is aimed at ensuring that people's tax money is only used for citizens and legal residents, rather than "subsidizing illegal immigrants".
The cut comes as Western countries have simultaneously tightened support for Ukrainian refugees. Poland, Germany, Latvia, Finland, Switzerland and several others have tightened conditions or reduced allowances in recent months, citing limited budgets and lack of housing.
Some reports also recorded an increase in anti-Ukrainian psychology in many other countries in the European Union (EU).
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Polish people were increasingly dissatisfied with seeing "hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians driving cars across Europe andending weekends in 5-star hotels".
