Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will allocate $30 million in state funds to provide food assistance for low-income residents, seniors, and people with disabilities starting November 1. This action follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits nationwide due to a federal government shutdown. Approximately 460,000 New Mexicans—about 21 percent of the state’s population—are affected by this suspension.
“The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have abdicated their responsibility to Americans in need, so we’re stepping up to help New Mexicans,” said Lujan Grisham. “This $30 million in state funding will ensure that families, seniors, and children who need assistance will still be able to put food on their tables in November.”
The Health Care Authority is set to distribute the emergency funds through existing EBT cards for eligible recipients on November 1. These funds are intended to cover about the first ten days of November and are separate from federal SNAP dollars.
As part of its response, the state has issued forty executive orders authorizing $750,000 each—the maximum allowed per order under state law—and declared a state of emergency. The orders also empower the Health Care Authority to continue providing nutritional assistance to those eligible for SNAP benefits. Applications for SNAP will continue to be accepted during this period; eligibility will be determined based on application dates once federal funding resumes.
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales commented on the situation: “I’ve heard from constituents who are worried about how they’ll feed their families next month,” he said. “This $30 million investment means meals for children, groceries for seniors, and hope for families who’ve been abandoned by Republicans in Washington. I commend Gov. Lujan Grisham for taking decisive action.”
Those enrolled in SNAP should expect state-provided funds by Saturday covering roughly 30% of their usual monthly benefit; elderly and disabled recipients will receive at least $100.
Families can continue using any existing balances on their EBT cards while new applications can be submitted online at YES.NM.GOV or by contacting local offices.
SNAP was established under the Food Stamp Act of 1964 as a national anti-hunger program serving around 42 million Americans annually and typically generates economic activity locally with each dollar spent through it.
New Mexico usually receives between $80 million and $90 million per month from federal SNAP funding. The abrupt halt comes despite an estimated $5 billion remaining in a federal contingency fund meant for such emergencies—a figure referenced by USDA’s own “Lapse of Funding Plan” published earlier this year but later removed from its website.
“Hunger knows no party lines. Every New Mexican needs access to food, and I’m grateful the Governor is taking immediate action,” said Health Care Authority Secretary Kari Armijo. She added that her agency would do everything possible to help residents during this period of uncertainty.
Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) stated: “Governor Lujan Grisham’s emergency funding demonstrates the leadership and moral clarity that New Mexicans deserve. We will not stand by while the federal administration chooses to let our families, children, seniors, and veterans go hungry.”
House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) added: “SNAP is a lifeline for families who are struggling, not a bargaining chip. New Mexico is not going to allow the Trump Administration to play political games that put children and families in our state at risk of starvation.” He emphasized that New Mexico is acting decisively where needed.
Lujan Grisham concluded: “New Mexico is doing all it can to help alleviate suffering that Republicans in Washington are inflicting on our communities, but no state—including New Mexico—can afford to bridge this massive funding gap indefinitely,” she said. “It’s up to Congress and President Trump to do what’s right and restore this critical nutrition funding that millions of American rely on every day.”
