Amid backdrop of migrant crisis, Mass. Legislature considers cash, food aid for legal immigrants

“The struggle to make ends meet has become a nightmare,” Figueroa said in Spanish at a hearing considering legislation that would revive a program that makes some legal immigrants, such as refugees and asylum seekers, eligible for popular safety net programs including food assistance and cash benefits.

For Figueroa and thousands like her who have fled turmoil in their home countries to Massachusetts, her family’s status holds them back from accessing such benefits afforded to other low-income families in the state.