Just weeks after federal food benefits were restored following the government shutdown, some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding is in limbo again. The program is known as CalFresh in California.
The Trump administration said on Tuesday it may begin withholding money for administering federal food assistance in California and 21 other states starting next week unless the states start providing data about benefit recipients.
The action will not directly affect the benefits people receive, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture which oversees the federal food assistance program.
But on a local level the San Diego Food Bank is on stand by.
The organization’s CEO, Casey Castillo called the news “frustrating,” saying they’re already dealing with high demand for food.
“We hope this is resolved soon. These are real people – these are real families, seniors, military families, these are children. That's who we're supporting and that's who's being impacted,” Castillo said.
The federal government splits the cost of administering the SNAP program with states.
Castillo said he’s not sure what it will mean for San Diego Food Bank. But if the state has to absorb the administrative costs, it could lead to cuts to other food programs.
“So that's what we're concerned about — the state pulling from other food assistance areas,” Castillo said. “We are worried and will continue to monitor this long term.”
The USDA said states like California are refusing to provide data including names and immigration status the department says it needs in order to root out fraud.
“We have sent Democrat States yet another request for data, and if they fail to comply, they will be provided with formal warning that USDA will pull their administrative funds,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.
California and 21 other states, plus the District of Columbia, sued the Trump administration this summer to block the data sharing. A preliminary injunction on the case was issued in October.
“This isn’t about preventing waste or fraud—it’s about building a dystopian mass surveillance database to go after people or activities the Trump Administration doesn’t like,” a spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.
“USDA continues to demonize the 42 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits, including more than 5 million in California, as fraudsters and criminals,” the statement said.
The California Department of Social Services said the state “remains committed to ensuring that vulnerable Californians have access to the food support they need to the greatest extent possible.”
The County of San Diego said they're waiting on guidance from the State on how changes will impact benefit recipients, a spokesperson told KPBS.
