About 13,000 people in San Diego County are expected to lose CalFresh food benefits in the coming days due to changes in federal law, a shift that could impact families, local businesses and food banks across the region. The changes, which take effect April 1, limit eligibility for certain groups of non-citizens, including asylees, refugees, parolees and people with deportation or removals withheld. County officials say they have been preparing for months. “The signing of the one big beautiful bill. So we’ve known since last July that these changes were coming,” said Alberto Banuelos with the County of San Diego. In communities like San Ysidro, where many residents rely on assistance programs, the effects are expected to ripple beyond households and into local businesses. At Liva Market, about half of all customers use EBT benefits to purchase food. “Like the 50% of our customers they buy with EBT,” said Arely Agüero with Liva Market, adding losing those customers could hurt their bottom line. “Yeah, we definitely will lose clients.” County officials are urging current recipients to update their contact information and immigration status, noting some people may still qualify if their legal status has changed. “There is a possibility that many of these individuals have continued on with their legal process and they have changed status. And we just need to be able to collect and enter that new information into our system,” Banuelos said. Meanwhile, the county says it has increased support for local food banks in anticipation of higher demand. For people like Ana Rosa Allen Ramirez, that demand is already growing. She now relies on food banks after losing her benefits and says the lines have surged. “Oh yeah, that is what’s been happening…” She says her location has seen crowds grow from about 200 people to roughly 500, raising concerns about whether resources can keep up. Officials say anyone needing food assistance or more information can call 2-1-1. The county has also been working to improve its 2-1-1 help centers to provide more personalized, in-person support. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less