For Maggie Aragon, a New Mexico woman who’s relied on federal food assistance for more than 30 years, the moment her SNAP balance dropped to zero was life-altering, she says.
“When I heard, ‘Zero dollars,’ my chest went into my throat,” Aragon told KOAT 7 News, describing the fear and panic that set in when she discovered her benefits had been cut off due to the ongoing Democrat-led government shutdown. “It’s detrimental to my life.”
Aragon, who said she also depends on local food banks to survive, is one of tens of thousands of New Mexicans now facing uncertainty as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) runs out of funding. However, it shows the cracks in what is supposed to be a temporary system, letting people live off of SNAP for not just years, but decades. With New Mexico having the highest percentage of SNAP recipients in the nation, the effects of the shutdown are being felt most sharply here, making it a wake-up call.
According to federal data, Democrats, including U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, have voted at least 13 times against measures to reopen the government, keeping critical programs like SNAP and WIC unfunded for more than a month. The result has been a funding freeze, leaving millions of Americans — including 460,000 New Mexicans — with empty accounts.
While Democrats such as Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) have tried to deflect blame, the reality is that their votes to block short-term spending bills directly caused the freeze. SNAP funds were already strained after a 40% program expansion under Joe Biden, which ballooned costs to record levels.
Revelations of widespread fraud and abuse in the SNAP program have further inflamed the situation. In a stunning admission this week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins called for a complete overhaul of the EBT system following the exposure of massive corruption.
Federal investigators found:
- A 40% surge in SNAP spending under the Biden administration.
- Twenty-one Democrat-led states refusing to cooperate with federal data-sharing efforts designed to stop illegal immigrant access to benefits.
- Thousands of fraudulent cases uncovered nationwide, including EBT cards used by deceased recipients.
- Over 100 arrests tied to SNAP fraud rings exploiting the system.
Critics say the chaos underscores years of Democrat mismanagement and misplaced priorities. Instead of reforming a broken program and protecting taxpayer dollars, Democrats doubled down on waste and dependency — and now the poorest Americans are paying the price.
Even Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s measly $30 million state stopgap plan, announced last week, offers little relief — providing just around $65 per recipient.
As the shutdown enters its second month, Aragon’s story captures the human toll of Washington dysfunction: a government that has let a woman rely on federal aid for three decades — and then suddenly being cut off.
The growing scandal has reignited debate over both the future of SNAP and the political games that keep families trapped in dependency while fraudsters exploit the system. For now, as Democrats continue to block efforts to reopen the government, Aragon and millions of others are left staring at zero — and wondering next steps.
Come on Schumer dont let AOC stop you from doing the right thing. 🇺🇸✝️
welfare is a life style promoted by democrats. they will give you money for your vote. it works. freeloaders rule the roost and if you work you are a sucker.
read the article carefully. democrat states wont cooperate with the feds to get illegal aliens off SNAP. those illegals are taking money from YOUR benefits and the funds available to help Americans. there should be prosecutions of state officials for not providing that information. illegals first, you second. You pay, they take. way to go voters.
The idea that a woman can be on welfare for 30+ years is a farce and a fallacy. To me it is not the fault of the politicians as much as it is the voters. The voters kept the people in office that allowed this. I love New Mexico, but, the idea that we keep voting in Democrats and some republicans who keep this mess going, is saddening, and horrible. It makes New Mexico a horrible place to be. I moved just before election, but if I was still there I would put in my vote to get rid of all the democrats that I could.
You are exactly correct, Roger. These morons keep voting the worthless dems in office, and in so doing, funnel benefit money away from residents, who need it, and give it to illegals. This crap needs to end today.
While I agree there is rampant Fraud in the system, there are those that depend on that assistance for Years and possibly for life. My daughter is a single parent on SSI for a Traumatic Brain Injury and will never be able to work again, but she has 3 school age kids at home and relies on EBT to feed her family. Between the EBT and the food pantries and commodities, she manages to do a decent job but we still have to help her financially.
Get a job!
How will they be able to afford going to the casino if they don’t have their snap card? Maybe they’ll have to go home to their own country, we’ll even buy them a plane ticket as soon as the DIMS open the govt back up!?
Maybe the government shutdown will wake people up to what the dems are doing and have been doing for ages. Pain and struggle and hunger speaks louder than words. Nothing is going to change until the dems are voted out of office and good honest, moral people are put in government. Will all the people on SNAP, EBT cards and other welfare benefits still vote dems after all that is going on?? I wonder. Obviously, They aren’t as important to the dems as the illegals.
I don’t care if someone is legal or illegal. So-called “welfare” or “assistance” programs used to be very temporary, to help people get a leg up, SHORT TERM. In the olden days, anyone using such services got off of them as quickly as possible out of pride. Charities & churches also filled gaps. Once the government at any level takes over, the program(s) become bureaucratic behemoths that create lifelong dependency. Nobody should be allowed to be on any taxpayer funded programs for decades or lifelong.
While I sympathize with the commentator here whose daughter has a TBI & 3 kids, I can’t help but wonder why there is no child support from the father(s) to supplement her income rather than tax payers.
And NM is numero uno in SNAP recipients. As usual, NM is 1st in the worst & last in the best.
New Mexico is one of 21 states that are refusing to send their SNAP data to the USDA. Please investigate! I have also contacted KOAT tv requesting the same.
The Democrats don’t give a dam about the American people all they care about is the Illegals and putting money in their pockets. All Democrats are greedy
It’s difficult to even respond to the bullshit anymore because no one is listening. Nothing ever changes in this state. The politicians should not be getting paid during the shutdown.
Generational leeches
What the government gives, it can take away for any reason, power and politics. Welcome to the communist demo party!