Local & Community
Changes to CalFresh Eligibility to Impact Non-Citizens

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Changes to CalFresh eligibility affecting certain
non-citizens will take effect today, potentially impacting thousands of
recipients in Riverside County.
The county Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) said the
changes stem from federal policy updates outlined in H.R. 1 and will make some
non-citizens ineligible for food assistance benefits.
Those affected include certain asylees, refugees, parolees,
individuals with deportation or removal withheld, conditional entrants and
victims of trafficking, according to the department.
``They may be eligible for CalFresh (if) the immigration status
changes to Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) and all other eligibility
requirements are met,'' DPSS said on its website.
The department said residents who are no longer eligible for CalFresh
can seek assistance through local food banks, the 211 resource line or the
Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
Additional changes tied to the federal law are expected to take effect
June 1, including expanded work requirements for certain adults without
dependents and reduced exemptions for some groups.
More information is available through the county at https://rivcodpss.org/.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
By: City News Service
April 1, 2026


