Thousands of Cubans are left without food stamps. Trump withdraws SNAP food stamps from them

This was a vital aid for many Cuban families recently arrived in the United States. However, more than a few Cuban-American citizens are not happy about it, since, according to them, food stamps are paid for with their taxes.

The U.S. government will suspend access to the SNAP food assistance program for Cubans on humanitarian parole. The measure takes effect on April 24 and will also affect thousands of Haitians.

End of benefit approved under Biden

The Department of Agriculture notified Thursday that all humanitarian parole recipients will lose access to EBT cards that allowed them to purchase food at supermarkets and authorized retailers.

The assistance was part of SNAP, better known as "food stamps". It was available only to Cubans and Haitians under this program. Neither Nicaraguans nor Venezuelans, although they were also admitted under parole, were eligible to receive food stamps.

The elimination of the benefit occurs as a direct consequence of the cancellation of humanitarian parole announced by the Trump administration. The government set April 24 as the deadline to leave the country or face expedited deportation.

A community torn between solidarity and rejection

The decision has provoked rejection by migrant aid organizations, which denounce the risk of food insecurity for those who have not yet managed to stabilize in the country. But not all Cubans have reacted with empathy.

Many Cuban Americans who already have citizenship or residency have supported the measure, arguing that "their taxes should not be used to support parasites" or "public charges". They argue that SNAP represents an expense that they pay, and they are not willing to finance it.

This type of discourse, increasingly frequent in social networks, shows how part of the Cuban community has lost historical memory and empathy towards newcomers. They forget that years ago they also needed help to get started.

Only those who have initiated immigration adjustments are protected

The government clarified that the suspension of food stamps will not affect those who have initiated an immigration adjustment process. That is, people with asylum applications, visas for violence or human trafficking, TPS or other eligible categories.

Nor will those who have entered through other channels, such as the CBP One application, or those who have already regularized their status through the Cuban Adjustment Act, be harmed.

The SNAP program, however, will no longer be available to some 321,000 Cubans and Haitians who entered under parole. Although not all of them applied for assistance, it is estimated that at least 25,000 Cuban families could be left without access to food in the midst of the migration crisis.

Ongoing lawsuits seek to reverse the decision

Two pending federal lawsuits are trying to stop the revocation of the humanitarian parole. Activists and lawyers expect a court response next week, which could temporarily halt the government's decision.

In the meantime, many migrants live with the uncertainty of not knowing if they will be able to continue to feed their children once the EBT card becomes inactive.

The humanitarian parole required the figure of a sponsor precisely to prevent newcomers from being a "public charge." But the cuts imposed by Trump ignore even that initial condition. The Cuban community, far from uniting in the face of adversity, seems more divided than ever.