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Lifted by a favorable ruling from a federal judge, California has been able to access and distribute food benefits that the Trump administration was holding back over the course of the shutdown, according to state and county officials.
While the long-term future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program remains in limbo as the shutdown drags on, the Nov. 6 ruling from U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., in Rhode Island provided a temporary reprieve. McConnell ordered the administration to immediately fund the SNAP program, according to Associated Press.
While the U.S. Supreme Court temporary stayed that order on Nov. 7, several states had already accessed the funds, which were being restored to accounts of SNAP participants. According to AP, the list of states that have accessed the funds for food assistance includes Wisconsin, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington.
In a Nov. 6 statement, California Gov. Gavin Newsom lauded the restoration of food assistance to about 5.5 million state residents. California was one of about two dozen states that have sued the White House over its decision to withhold SNAP benefits, which are known as CalFresh in California.
“As President Trump continues to create harm through self-inflicted wounds on our country, we will keep protecting Americans who are caught in the crossfire,” Newsom said. “I am pleased at the court ruling and that those food benefits are now beginning to flow back to California families.”
In San Mateo County, about 35,000 residents are recipients of CalFresh benefits. Last month, the county board of supervisors responded to the potential loss of food assistance by approving nearly $900,000 to help buy and distribute food.
In Santa Clara County, the CalFresh program provides about $25.5 million in food assistance every month to about 130,000 residents, according to county officials. Bracing for the lapse of federal benefits, the county Board of Supervisors approved last week an allocation of $4.5 million to Second Harvest Silicon Valley, a food bank that serves Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
County Executive James Williams confirmed in a statement Friday that full CalFresh benefits have been issued to all California recipients whose payments had been delayed by the shutdown. The roughly 60,000 households in the county that typically get their benefits between the 1st and 7th of the month saw the funding restored on their EBT cards on Nov. 7, according to the county. Those who get it later in the month should expect to receive the benefits on their scheduled date, according to the county.
The legal battle over food assistance has already caused a strain on the Peninsula, with nonprofit groups, congregations and food banks reporting a surge in demand for their services. La Comida in Palo Alto and the Community Services Agency’s Senior Nutrition Program in Mountain View had both reported growing lines for meals, and La Comida recently took the rare step of asking for donations for the first time in more than 50 years.
“We are relieved that families across our county will receive their full amount of CalFresh food assistance for November,” Williams said in a statement. “Unfortunately, while the federal government shutdown persists, there remains uncertainty about the continuation of CalFresh and other public benefits in December. We will continue to do everything we can to support the needs of our community because no family or child should go hungry in Santa Clara County.”
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