SUMMER: BUT THE ORDER ALSO HAS
LOCAL FOOD BANKS VERY CONCERNED.
WESH 2’S MICHELLE MEREDITH
EXPLAINS WHY.
MICHELLE: TEQUILA HOWARD IS A
STUDENT IN THE CULINARY PROGRAM
AT SECOND HARVEST, TRAINING TO
WORK IN A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE SINGLE MOM
DEPENDS ON FOOD STAMPS TO FEED
HER 5-MONTH-OLD SON AND HERSELF.
>> ESPECIALLY FOODS TO COOK,
LIKE CHICKEN AND BEEF, SEAFOOD.
MICHELLE: YOU COULDN’T DO THAT
BEFORE?
>> NO, MA’AM, BECAUSE IT TAKES A
LOT OF MONEY TO BUY ONE PACKAGE
OF MEAT.
MICHELLE: THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
FEEDS 40 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE
UNITED STATES EVERY YEAR,
INCLUDING SOME IMMIGRANTS WHO
ARE HERE LEGALLY.
BUT RECENTLY THE SUPREME COURT
ISSUED A TEMPORARY ORDER, SAYING
MANY IMMIGRANTS WILL ABLE TO
APPLY FOR FOOD STAMPS NO MORE.
THOSE IN FAVOR SAY TO SOME
EXTENT IT’S ABOUT PROTECTING TAX
DOLLARS.
>> WHAT IT IS REALLY ABOUT IS
BASCIALLY INSURING THAT AMERICAN
CITIZENSHIP ACTUALLY MEANS
SOMETHING, YOU ARE ACTUALLY
BRINGING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE.
MICHELLE: OTHERS SAY IT IS ABOUT
EXCLUSION.
>> TO TRY TO AVOID CERTAIN
PEOPLE, TO BE ABLE TO AVOID
CERTAIN PEOPLE, TO BE ABLE TO
IMMIGRATE LEGALLY INTO THE
COUNTRY.
MICHELLE: THE CONCERN?
THAT SOME IMMIGRANTS WHO NEED
FOOD STAMPS TO HELP FEED THEIR
FAMILIES WON’T APPLY, CAN’T
APPLY BECAUSE IT WILL JEOPARDIZE
THEIR CHANCE TO GET LEGAL
PERMANENT STATUS.
>> ONE IN FIVE CENTRAL FLORIDA
CHILDREN ARE AT RISK AT GOING TO
BE HUNGRY TONIGHT, SO THAT I
NOT INCLUDING THE CHILDREN WHO
COULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS
PROPOSED RULE.
MICHELLE: AND CAN THE FOOD BANKS
HANDLE THE INCREASED DEMAND?
THE ANSWER WILL COME SOON,
BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT ORDER
GOES INTO EFFECT FEBURARY 24.
IN ORANGE COUNTY, MICH
