Press briefing: SNAP funding and federal policy changes in New Jersey

Описание: In New Jersey, more than 800,000 residents rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. They account for nearly 2 percent of the 42.4 million people in the United States who benefit from the food stamp program. But threats to SNAP, including lapsed funding during the 2025 government shutdown and new federal restrictions, could push more New Jerseyans into food insecurity in the coming years.

A court order compelled the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use contingency funds to continue the benefits, but the shutdown underscored how vulnerable federally funded nutrition programs are during political standoffs.

The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal SNAP administrative funds from states that refuse to share expanded recipient data, including immigration status. New Jersey is among the states pushing back, arguing that the federal government already has verification access and the new demands risk targeting immigrants and deterring eligible families instead of preventing fraud.

We brought together food security policy experts, advocates, and local officials and reporters to discuss how New Jersey families are impacted by SNAP policy changes and how communities are responding.

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Meet our panelists
Jamie Bussel, Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Crystal Feliciano, Councilwoman At Large, City of Trenton, NJ
Gina Plata-Nino, JD, SNAP Director, Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
Moderator
Ben Hulac, Washington Correspondent, NJ Spotlight News/PBS

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This event is part of our "Not Your Same Old Sources" (NYSOS) series, featuring experts from our Diverse Sources Database. It's presented in partnership with NJ.com and NJ ethnic and community media outlets.

As a reminder, University events are open to everyone.

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