SNAP Restrictions Expected To Raise Food Pantry Use Nationwide

Several significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are underway in 2025 and beyond, impacting millions of Americans and vulnerable immigrant populations. Louisiana will implement new SNAP restrictions starting January 2026, prohibiting the purchase of soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy with benefits as part of a health initiative to reduce future healthcare costs, while allowing items like rotisserie chicken. Concurrently, work requirements introduced under President Trump’s administration mandate that able-bodied adults without dependents work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to maintain benefits, potentially causing thousands to lose food assistance, which food pantries predict will increase demand. Additionally, new federal legislation signed by President Trump has tightened eligibility for refugees and asylees, limiting government food and healthcare benefits to lawful permanent residents, leaving many immigrants uncertain about their access to assistance. Lawmakers and service providers warn that many who lose benefits will face hardship due to bureaucratic barriers rather than unwillingness to work, emphasizing the need for local support systems to help those affected. These combined policy shifts reflect a broader effort to reshape SNAP and related aid programs under the current administration's agenda.