42 Million Americans Face Hunger as SNAP Benefits Halted, New York Declares Emergency Amid Shutdown and Immigration Crackdown
In an unprecedented crisis unfolding just weeks before Thanksgiving, approximately 42 million Americans—12% of the nation’s population—stand on the brink of food insecurity as the Trump administration prepares to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits beginning November 1. This would mark the first time in U.S. history that SNAP, the country’s largest anti-hunger program, has been halted during a government shutdown, shattering a decades-old social contract that has kept food on the tables of working families, seniors, children, and vulnerable communities through economic turbulence.
The emergency is already triggering state-level alarms. On Wednesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency and committed $65 million in new funding—enough to provide roughly 40 million meals—to bolster food banks and emergency food providers. This follows $41 million in accelerated aid released earlier in the week, bringing New York’s total emergency food response to $106 million. Yet even this extraordinary effort falls far short of replacing the $650 million in monthly SNAP benefits that flow to nearly 3 million New Yorkers alone. “No state can fully replace federal support at this scale,” Hochul’s office acknowledged, underscoring the sheer magnitude of the looming gap.
New York has now joined 24 other states in filing a federal lawsuit demanding the immediate release of emergency SNAP funds. For the average enrolled household in the state, the loss of $376 per month—the typical SNAP benefit—could mean choosing between rent and groceries, or skipping meals entirely. And the pain will be felt most acutely by immigrant families, who are being disproportionately targeted by a broader political campaign to tie social safety nets to immigration enforcement.
Despite widespread misinformation, the data tells a different story. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures cited by WIRED, nearly 90% of SNAP recipients are U.S.-born citizens. Only about 4.8% of benefits go to noncitizens—many of whom are lawfully present, working, and paying taxes. Yet rhetoric from figures like Republican Representative Randy Fine of Florida, who recently posted on X, “If you want free stuff, go home,” has fueled a false narrative that SNAP primarily serves undocumented immigrants. This narrative is now being codified into policy.
Separate from the shutdown, a budget law signed by President Trump in July slashed $187 billion from SNAP over the next decade and redefined eligibility to exclude not only undocumented individuals but also refugees, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, and those with Temporary Protected Status—even if they have U.S.-citizen children. Advocates estimate that in New York alone, 41,000 residents could lose benefits solely due to their immigration status, regardless of their family composition or contributions to society.
As Angela Rachidi, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, explains, many affected households are of “mixed status”—for example, an undocumented parent receiving SNAP on behalf of a child who is a U.S. citizen by birth. These families exist in a legal gray zone where one policy shift can erase their only lifeline. When SNAP stops, there is no backup.
The human toll is already visible. Antoinette, a Congolese refugee now living in Atlanta, told KFF Health that her warehouse job pays just enough to cover rent. SNAP is what allows her to buy groceries. Asked what she would do when benefits stop—shop less, eat fewer fruits and vegetables, buy less meat, or skip meals—she replied with a quiet, resigned “Oui.” Yes. Her answer echoes across millions of households.
The fallout extends beyond individual families. A prior investigation by Documented revealed that immigrant-owned corner stores, bodegas, and small grocers—many of which rely heavily on SNAP customers—will face severe revenue losses, threatening their survival and destabilizing local economies in neighborhoods already strained by inflation and housing insecurity.
This moment is more than a budgetary dispute; it is a test of national values. At a time when global displacement, economic volatility, and climate-driven food shortages are pushing more people toward the edge, the deliberate dismantling of a program that has historically transcended partisan lines signals a profound shift in America’s social compact. By halting SNAP during a shutdown and weaponizing eligibility rules along immigration lines, the administration isn’t just cutting a program—it’s redefining who belongs, who deserves help, and whose hunger matters.
As New York and other states scramble to fill the void, the question remains: when the federal government abandons its most basic duty—to ensure no American goes to bed hungry—what kind of nation do we become? For 42 million people, the answer may arrive not with a policy paper, but with an empty refrigerator on November 1.
