How cuts to SNAP Benefits Affected the Latine Community

The 44-day federal government shutdown, triggered by disputes over a new funding bill, created a critical lapse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), disproportionately affecting the Latine community.  The proposed package was already set to tighten rules and slash federal funding by an estimated $186.7 billion over the next ten years. However, when the government shutdown, the long-term threat became an immediate fear, hitting low-income families the hardest. Voto Latino, an organization focused on educating and empowering new generations of Latino voters, explicitly warned that Washington’s political fight was a direct attack on families keeping the country running. 

“From federal workers and small business owners, to families relying on nutrition and health programs, more than 15 million Latinos are being hit hardest by Washington’s dysfunction,” they wrote in a press release.  According to Voto Latino, over 300,000 federal employees worked without pay or were sent home during the shutdown. 

“These are parents and caregivers doing everything right—showing up and serving the country—yet they’re being forced to choose between gas, groceries, and rent.”

SNAP payments stalled in November 

Figures by the Pew Research Center show that the SNAP program helps nearly 42 million Americans buy groceries each month. Of that number, nearly 10 million Latinos rely on SNAP, and three million rely on WIC, a program for women, infants, and children. While payments for October were on time, the prolonged shutdown caused critical delays for November. 

“I was terrified all of October as the threat of losing my food stamps,” Pedro Vazquez tells HipLatina. “It felt like the government was playing with my livelihood. As a retired senior, I rely on that supplemental assistance to help me get through the month.” 

The 82-year-old sought help from local food banks in Miami-Dade County, Florida, as November approached and his benefits ran dry. “I don’t know what I would have done without the help of the community. I hope they keep in mind that many of us rely on these benefits to survive.” 

During the shutdown, the food and aid program was caught in a legal mess, with courts issuing conflicting rulings and state governments scrambling for short-term fixes. States such as California sued the Trump administration in an effort to force SNAP payments using contingency funds. Governor Gavin Newsom attempted to expedite $80 million in state funds to help food bank resources while also mobilizing the California National Guard to support food banks throughout the state. 

As the government scrambled, millions of vulnerable families were left unsure if, or when, their food assistance would arrive. 

Why We Were Hit the Hardest

Statistics show the Latine community relies heavily on federal food aid, becoming uniquely vulnerable to the cuts and the shutdown. According to the PEW Research Center, Latines account for 24.2 percent of adult recipients, but represent 40.7 percent of all child SNAP beneficiaries. 

A recent study by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute also shows that Latinos make up 55 percent of the participants in CalFresh, California’s name for its state-specific SNAP program. The study also showed that the program has helped reduce the effects on 48 percent of low-income Latines in California facing food insecurity. 

CalFresh study and UCLA professor Arturo Vargas Bustamante told the Los Angeles Times that the situation is particularly daunting for California farmworkers, who face low wages and also face food insecurity while comprising 95 percent of the food collection workforce. 

“There is a paradox. Farmworkers are overwhelmingly Latino and they produce a lot of the food that the state consumes. This food is also exported across the country and world,” he said. “It’s ironic that in many cases these same households do not have enough income to eat properly and they have to rely on these types of programs in order for them to have food on the table.”

Fear in immigrant communities

The crisis created intense fear, especially among immigrant communities where anti-immigrant politics were already active. Many feared their SNAP vouchers or WIC benefits would go away permanently, fearing that it would keep them from feeding their children. 

This fear is exacerbated by immigration rules. Under U.S. law, even if an adult is undocumented and ineligible for SNAP, their U.S.-born children are eligible. When benefits are threatened, their nutrition is at stake. 

“I’ve been waiting for my papers for more than a year. Now my baby is six months old, and I already fear being deported. During the shutdown, I was afraid I would also lose SNAP benefits to feed her. These times are scary for all of us,” an undocumented anonymous interviewee living in Texas tells HipLatina. 

Additionally, some lawfully present immigrants and refugees have already received immediate notices that they will no longer be eligible for SNAP. While the future is uncertain, the hope is that state legislatures will come through and resolve new ways to avoid food insecurities in our community.