Help for Immigrants

Some people who apply for a green card or a visa to enter the U.S. must pass a “public charge” test. In those cases, immigration officials look at whether the person will mostly depend on the government for support in the future.

The Trump Administration has recently proposed a change to this test, but it is not in place yet. Three important things immigrant families need to know about public charge are:

1. Most people do not have to worry about public charge at all.
2. Some public benefits may be considered
3. Public charge is not just about benefits

Information from Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF).

Updated: November 2025

• U.S. Citizens regardless of their family members’ immigration status
• Refugees & Asylees
• Asylum seekers who are under 21 or pregnant
• Legal Permanent Residents who have had their green card for more than 5 years or who have had their green card for less than 5 years and are pregnant or under 21 years old
• Undocumented, have not begun the asylum process, or have an uncertain immigration status and are under 21 or pregnant
• Haitian or Cuban entrants
• Survivors of domestic violence who have been in the U.S. for more than 5 years or who are under 21 or pregnant
• Parolees who have been paroled into the U.S. for at least one year and under 21 or pregnant or those who have been paroled into the U.S. for at least 5 years

Updated: January 2024

States have always been required to share certain data with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees Medicaid (MaineCare). This data includes information like names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, date of birth, race/ethnicity, Medicaid coverage category, and citizenship status.

In the past, CMS did NOT share data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which enforces immigration laws. However, a new data sharing agreement between CMS and DHS allows for some Medicaid data from people who are not lawfully residing in the U.S. to be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Some data still cannot lawfully be shared, including information about: U.S. citizens, people who are lawfully residing in the U.S., or sensitive medical records.

Families need to weigh getting health care coverage against the possible risk that their information may now be shared for other purposes, including immigration enforcement.

Every family’s circumstances are different so it’s important to consider the following when deciding about risk:

Do you already have MaineCare?

If you already have MaineCare and have not moved, there is no reason to withdraw or stop using those benefits at this point. Withdrawing will not erase your data from CMS’ records or impact your immigration case.

Are you thinking of applying for MaineCare?

If your identity and location are not already known by the federal government and someone in your family needs assistance, the risk of applying may be different. If you have concerns about your immigration status and the impacts, please contact an immigration attorney.

Are you in a “mixed status” household?

Only people who are applying for MaineCare need to share their immigration status. When completing an application for MaineCare, or other benefits like TANF and SNAP, you are not required to provide the Social Security Number or immigration status of family members who are not seeking benefits for themselves, and you should not include that information.

For example, if a parent is applying for MaineCare for their child but not for themselves, the parent’s immigration status is not needed for the application. However, if the parent or ineligible household member is also applying for Emergency MaineCare, they do need to verify their immigration status with DHHS.

Have you applied for immigration relief?

If DHS is already aware of your presence in the U.S. and has your address (such as from an immigration-related process or application), there may not be an additional risk to applying for or receiving public benefits like MaineCare.

What if I don’t qualify for full MaineCare?

Emergency MaineCare helps hospitals pay for emergency medical care for people who do not qualify for full-scope MaineCare due to their immigration status. This includes foreign students, temporary visa holders, asylum seekers, green card holders subject to the five-year bar, and people who are not lawfully present in the U.S. Information shared with the federal government does include the fact that someone is only eligible for Emergency MaineCare, but does not include a person’s exact immigration status.

You do not need to disclose your immigration status on an Emergency MaineCare application. You have the right to decline to apply for Emergency Medicaid and still get treatment, but you may receive bills for any medical care they receive without coverage.

Individual choice & risk assessment:

Only you can decide what’s best for you and your family when it comes to sharing your information with the government.

Remember: Maine DHHS does not make house calls unannounced. If you need to get in touch with DHHS about your MaineCare, call 1-855-797-4357.

Updated: March 2026

You get a card that works like a debit card from a bank. You can use the card to buy food at grocery stores. The card is called the Pine Tree Card or an EBT card. 

Updated: May 2026

Many non-citizens who have low income are able to get SNAP, but there are different federal and state rules, depending on your immigration status. 

A. These groups are eligible for federal SNAP:

• Naturalized U.S. Citizens, including U.S. citizens in mixed-status households
• Lawful permanent residents or green-card holders (not subject to the five-year bar or who have had their green card for more than five years) 
• Cuban and Haitian entrants
• People living in the U.S. under the Compact of Free Association (“COFA migrants”)

B. These groups must ALSO have a hardship* (see below) in order to get state SNAP 

• Lawful permanent residents or green-card holders without a prior humanitarian status (subject to five-year bar and have had their green card less than five years)
• Refugees
• Asylees
• Asylum seekers with a pending application for asylum
• Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants (SIVs) holders
• Certain Afghan and Ukrainian parolees
• Parolees granted more than a year of parole
• Survivors of domestic violence who are self-petitioners under VAWA
• Certain survivors of human trafficking
• Conditional Entrants
• Hmong and Highland Laotian tribal members
• North American indigenous people born in Canada
• Individuals who were eligible for Federal SNAP prior to July 4, 2025
• Individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• Individuals with Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status* (beginning in July 2026)

People who are undocumented or who do not have permission to remain in the U.S. are not eligible for SNAP. However, if you have children born in the United States, they may qualify for assistance even if you are not eligible based on your immigration status. 

Updated: May 2026

If you have an immigration status listed in part B above, you have to meet all SNAP program requirements and have a hardship in order to qualify for state SNAP. 

A hardship is defined in state law as at least one of the following:

• Elderly (age 65+)
• Disabled (Social Security definition)
• Experiencing domestic violence (or the direct impacts of domestic violence)
• Waiting for work authorization
• Have work authorization but are unemployed or lost a job

As soon as you no longer meet one of these definitions, you have to report the change to DHHS and your benefits will end.

Updated: May 2026

In Maine, we have a state-funded SNAP program to support some immigrants who don’t qualify for federal support but meet all the other program requirements. State SNAP benefits work just like federal benefits and can be used anywhere SNAP is accepted. You apply the exact same way, and Maine’s DHHS decides which benefit you’re eligible for.

Remember: to qualify for state SNAP you also need to meet a “hardship exception” (see above) and once you begin working, you will lose your state-funded benefits, even if your income is still low enough to otherwise qualify. 

Updated: May 2026

In households where people have different immigration statuses, some people may qualify for SNAP and others may not. Only those who will receive SNAP benefits need to share their immigration status, but all members of the household must be included on the application so DHHS can determine the household size and benefit level.

For example: If a family of four has one parent with a pending application for asylum, one parent who is undocumented, and two U.S. citizen children, the children may be eligible for Federal SNAP, the parent seeking asylum may be eligible for State SNAP, and the parent who is undocumented isn’t eligible for either program but would still be listed on the application. Only the parent seeking asylum and their U.S.-born children need to verify their immigration status with DHHS.

Updated: May 2026

• You can apply online at My Maine Connection.
• You can apply in person at your local Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office. (Interpretation available upon request.)
• You can apply over the phone at 1-855-797-4357. (Interpretation available upon request.)
• You can download and print an application to send by mail, email or fax.
  • Mail: Office for Family Independence
    114 Corn Shop Lane, Farmington, ME 04938
    
  • Email: Farmington.DHHS@Maine.gov
  • Fax: (207) 778-8429

Updated: May 2026

SNAP basics: You can learn more about SNAP benefits and other resources on our Food Assistance page.

SNAP benefit estimator: You can check if you're eligible for SNAP and estimate your monthly benefit with Pine Tree Legal Assistance's estimator.

Updated: May 2026

Most people in the United States need to file taxes, no matter their immigration status. You can see if you must pay taxes by checking with the Internal Revenue Service here.

Updated: February 2026

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, is a 9-digit tax processing number issued by the IRS as an alternative to a Social Security number. Having an ITIN can provide many benefits, including access to tax benefits.

Applying for an ITIN generally involves two steps:

1. Filing a U.S. federal tax return AND

2. Submitting a Form W-7 and providing required documentation to confirm both your identity and foreign status.

Applying through a Certified Acceptance Agent in Maine means you will not have to mail your original personal documents to the IRS for verification.

Updated: February 2026

In the past, the IRS has kept all tax information private by law, and would never share information about a tax filer’s immigration status or personal information with other agencies. This confidentiality played a critical role in ensuring that immigrants could file taxes without fear of immigration enforcement.

However, the Trump Administration is making unlawful attempts to access confidential personal information. This includes changing the long-established ban on data sharing between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As a result, there are new potential risks involved in applying for an ITIN. Maine Equal Justice will continue following rulemaking and litigation on these issues and share updates as information changes.

The risk of DHS accessing your information is based on many individual factors, including your immigration status and the information already known by the government. If the federal government already has your name, address, and immigration status (for example, if you have a pending application for immigration relief), there is likely little additional risk in applying for an ITIN or filing your taxes.

If you have any questions about your immigration status, personal information, and taxes, you should seek specialized counsel from an immigration attorney.

For more information about data privacy and filing taxes as an immigrant, check out the National Immigration Law Center's resources. 

Updated: February 2026

Here are some of the Maine refundable tax credits (meaning you get the money back even if you don’t owe any taxes) you may be eligible for when you file state taxes with an ITIN, especially if you have low or moderate income:

• State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – a Maine credit for working families with low to moderate incomes

• Maine Dependent Exemption Tax Credit – a Maine credit for families with children/ dependents

• Property Tax Fairness Credit (PTFC) – a Maine credit for renters and homeowners

• Sales Tax Fairness Credit (STFC) – A Maine credit for people with low income to offset Maine’s sales and use tax

Updated: February 2026

Get free, local tax help from CA$H Maine. Find your local CA$H site here. For help in Portland, visit https://www.cashmaine.org/coalition/greater-portland/#locations or reach out to cash@uwsme.org.

Updated: February 2026

The National Immigration Law Center has great resources including:

FAQ: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN): A Powerful Tool for Immigrant Taxpayers

Data Privacy and Federal Taxes for Immigrant Taxpayers

Updated: February 2026