Politics

New bill aims to support Oregon immigrants excluded from federal food benefits

By Bryce Dole (OPB )
Jan. 27, 2025 11:20 p.m.

The bill comes as the Oregon Food Bank says one in eight residents experience hunger.

In this Jan. 27 photo taken at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, a Democrat from Aloha, speaks about rising hunger in Oregon. Campos is a chief sponsor of Senate Bill 611, which aims to support hungry people who have historically been excluded from federal food benefits because of their immigration status.

In this Jan. 27 photo taken at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, a Democrat from Aloha, speaks about rising hunger in Oregon. Campos is a chief sponsor of Senate Bill 611, which aims to support hungry people who have historically been excluded from federal food benefits because of their immigration status.

Bryce Dole / OPB

Oregon food advocates on Monday called on state lawmakers to support a bill aimed at helping hungry people who have historically been excluded from federal food benefits because of their immigration status.

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In a press conference at the state capitol in Salem, advocates said Senate Bill 611 is especially urgent as Oregon faces a steep rise in hunger.

“No one, no matter their background, their zip code, or their circumstances, should ever have to go to bed hungry,” said Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, a Democrat from Aloha who is a chief sponsor of the bill. “That’s not just a belief. It’s a conviction that drives everything we’re fighting for.”

If passed, the bill would establish the Food for All Oregonians Program in the Department of Human Services with the goal of helping people who can’t get federal food assistance through SNAP because of their immigration status. The bill would help people under the age of 25 and over the age of 55. It’s not clear how many people would benefit from the program nor how much it would cost.

So far, 18 Democrats, including House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, have sponsored the legislation. It is sponsored by one Republican representative, Mark Owens, R-Crane, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal SNAP benefits have never been available to immigrants who don’t have legal documentation proving citizenship. Advocates tried to pass similar legislation in Oregon during the 2023 session, but that bill, SB 610, died in committee.

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Still, advocates say the legislation is necessary now to support immigrant and refugee communities amid a slew of new policies from President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The current federal administration is threatening cuts to SNAP and vital safety nets, posing significant risks to tens of thousands of Oregonians,” said Andrea Williams, the president of the Oregon Food Bank, which is supporting the bill. “These policies are in direct opposition to our values as Oregonians.”

In this Jan. 27, 2025 photo at the Oregon State Capitol building in Salem, Oregon Food Bank President Andrea Williams speaks alongside supporters of Senate Bill 611, which would establish a state program with the goal of helping people who can’t get federal food assistance through SNAP because of their immigration status.

In this Jan. 27, 2025 photo at the Oregon State Capitol building in Salem, Oregon Food Bank President Andrea Williams speaks alongside supporters of Senate Bill 611, which would establish a state program with the goal of helping people who can’t get federal food assistance through SNAP because of their immigration status.

Bryce Dole / OPB

Standing on the steps of the state capitol on a brisk and clear morning, advocates carried signs that said “end hunger” and “food is a human right” alongside drawings of fruits and vegetables. Many were from families of farmworkers in communities from Tillamook to Ontario, who prop up Oregon’s agriculture industry and fuels the state’s economy, bringing food to grocery stores and kitchens throughout the state.

One in eight people across the state are experiencing hunger, Williams said. Overall, people visited local food banks more than 2.5 million times last year in Oregon and southwest Washington, according to the food bank. That’s more than twice as many as before the pandemic and a 31% increase compared to the year before.

“That’s not just a number,” said Campos, the deputy majority leader in the state Senate. “It’s families, neighbors, children and elders — people who deserve better from all of us.”

In addition, one out of every six children in Oregon face hunger, according to data from Feeding America, an organization that includes food banks, pantries and other meal programs across the country.

“To put that in perspective, we are in the worst rate of hunger and food insecurity since the Great Depression,” said Williams.

Food banks in Oregon and Southwest Washington distributed more than 109 million pounds of food last year, which was also a 5% jump from the previous year.

“The lines don’t disappear once the food is handed out,” said Williams. “Tomorrow, people will be there again. And the next day. And the next day.”

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