SALT LAKE CITY — Federal judges in two separate cases ruled Friday that the Trump administration cannot suspend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the ongoing government shutdown, a decision impacting more than 40 million Americans who rely on the benefits for food assistance.
Even after the rulings, dozens of Utahns gathered in downtown Salt Lake City to protest the potential freeze and to urge the administration to release the funds for November.
The protest was organized by Utahns Against Hunger and Crossroads, with State Rep. Sandra Hollins (D-Salt Lake City) speaking to the crowd about the importance of the program.
“It breaks my heart, and it makes me want to do something about it," Hollins told the protesters. "I have never shied away to say that I grew up in poverty. So, I know what that’s like."
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Hollins has long advocated for those experiencing food insecurity and expressed concern over the difficult choices families are forced to make without this assistance.
“I see what happens when parents or families have to make those decisions," she said. "People are getting to the point where they’re going to have make a decision about spending money on food, whether they want their medications, keeping lights on, taking care of their kids."
She added that she's not just hoping for short-term change, but long-term, saying, "At this point, we need the government to come together."
Utahns Against Hunger executive director Gina Cornia shared how the protest was organized to pressure the administration to act quickly, regardless of the court orders.
“We decided to come down here today and make some noise and really urge our governor to reach out to the Trump Administration to release those funds," Cornia explained. "We know that sometimes this administration doesn’t comply with the court orders. So, [Trump] needs to feel the pressure from the governor about why these programs matter and the funds need to be released so that people have benefits for food in November.
"In Utah, about 180,000 individuals receive SNAP benefits, and for many, it is their only source of money for groceries."
Cornia noted that while the funds should be released by the end of the month, recipients may still face delays.
“We need to have Washington come together and come up with a budget so that we’re getting people back to work," she said, "that we’re getting the benefits to people that need the benefits."
