New Mexico Deploys $30M Emergency Food Aid Amid Federal SNAP Suspension

Amid an ongoing federal government shutdown, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state will allocate $30 million in emergency funds starting November 1 to partially replace suspended Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for approximately 460,000 residents, the highest SNAP participation rate in the U.S. This state funding will provide about 30% of the normal monthly benefits and will be distributed via existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to eligible individuals, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. To facilitate this, the governor issued 40 executive orders declaring a state of emergency and authorizing the Health Care Authority to administer the nutritional assistance. The initiative was praised by Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales, who emphasized its importance in supporting vulnerable populations abandoned by the federal government's inaction. New Mexicans are encouraged to continue applying for SNAP benefits, which will be processed once federal funding resumes. The state's response highlights a bipartisan effort to address food insecurity during the federal funding lapse, with criticisms directed at the Trump administration and congressional Republicans for their failure to prevent the SNAP benefit suspension.