T’Naus Nieto
The Chronicle-News

3,042 people in LAC to be directly impacted, with $547,000 projected economic loss potential

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Las Animas County Department of Human Services announced in a press release that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will no longer be available starting in November, citing the federal government shutdown and depleting funding.

Rural areas, particularly LAC, could be among those facing the most severe repercussions if the U.S. Congress doesn’t negotiate a deal soon, with the President recently announcing allocations to pay Military members, which caused some national reports to speculate the move hinted at the federal government preparing for a lengthy holdout.

According to the Food Research and Action Center, 18% of Las Animas County households use SNAP. Huerfano was even higher at 18.3%, with Otero lower at 17.7%. Metro areas of the state generally had a much lower percentage.

However, those percentages were derived during a 4-year span, only as recently as 2021.

On Oct. 17, LAC DHS director Michael Aragon spoke with The Chronicle-News and provided current data, which not only alarmed him but also gave insight into the potential consequences for LAC.

“I’m not going to lie,” Aragon stated, saying he reviewed the latest data earlier that morning. “I am very concerned as to the impact on our community members… Countywide, we have approximately 3,042 individuals who currently receive SNAP benefits. Those are individual members ranging from a one-person household up to a nine- or ten-person household, depending. That’s a significant amount of the population.”

When asked about the impacts, Aragon explained the micro and macro ramifications that could affect the community.

“A lot of these families, as we go into the winter months and into the holiday season, really depend upon these SNAP benefits, as well as many of our vendors. Walmart, Safeway, (local grocers such as Simpon’s Market and more), those that accept EBT, because of these benefits [support] these vendors, which then, of course, feed to their payroll, and it helps keep folks employed and keeps us going as a community. But the biggest concern that I have is the mass food insecurity that’s going to impact our county.”

“My fingers are crossed that this governmental shutdown lifts before then, and SNAP benefits are restored in time. But realistically, if it does hit, it equates to about a $547,000 loss in SNAP benefits to our county, to our vendors, to our providers who utilize EBT. So, it’s a significant hit.”

Back on Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent a letter to state agencies, warning that there would be enough funds for the SNAP to continue in November.

“If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation,” The letter said.

Colorado DHS made similar claims, stating that they won’t be able to distribute the nearly $120 million of its November SNAP benefits to their recipients until after the federal government restores funding, according to its website.

Regarding state numbers, Aragon stated, “Statewide, the numbers are just astronomical. Right now, the state has identified about 334,590 households that are going to be impacted. That equates to about 614,911 individuals statewide.”

The LACDHS press release stated, “SNAP benefits will not be issued for November 2025 until additional information is received from the federal government. This is a change impacting all SNAP households and cannot be appealed.”

According to the LAC DHS, those who receive SNAP benefits would still be able to use their EBT cards for purchases, as long as there are still funds on them.

Partisan politics in Washington created immediate impacts close to home.

The Pew Research Center stated, “Ordinary Americans are more polarized than in the past. Partisan divisions on issues are wider than they were a few decades ago, and many Americans hold deeply negative views of those on the ‘other side’ of politics. Yet the public also is highly critical of the impact of partisan polarization on politics. More than eight-in-ten Americans (86%) say, ‘Republicans and Democrats are more focused on fighting each other than on solving problems.’”

The federal government shutdown, for those watching, seems to show no end in sight, with Republicans making bold claims that Democrats want to give billions in free healthcare to illegal immigrants with Democrats claiming Republicans are set to cut millions of Americans off Medicaid and double healthcare premiums, even making bold claims themselves, that the shutdown and House Republicans “going on vacation and refusing to negotiate” was part of their apprehension to release the “Epstein Files,” citing House Speaker Mike Johnson’s lack of swearing in representative-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona until after the shutdown, who would be the 218th vote needed to for an Epstein-related petition.

When asked how his department would address those struggling to feed themselves or their families, Argon stated, “My agency has reached out to other agencies around the country and around the southeast region of Colorado to identify additional food bank options, things of that nature. We’ve been in multiple meetings for the last two days with the state SNAP program that’s administered through the Colorado Department of Human Services, CDHS, and really trying to wrap our reins around what we as counties could do to support the recipients of these benefits that won’t see them come Nov.1.”

When asked if he had a message to the community, the director stated, “These services are put in place to help all of us continue to thrive and to help lift people up.

Reach out to our department when you have questions, reach out to other local agencies that provide food services, and hopefully we can come together as a community and really help each other through this really difficult time that’s in front of all of us.”

“We as an agency will continue to research resources for folks during this time and try to get as much information out on a consistent basis through our social media platforms and through media, such as the newspaper, so that our community can stay informed as to where they can access these types of services as we go into the month of November.”

He also mentioned speaking with the City of Trinidad and other entities. He said, “We’re trying to get that word out so that all of these agencies understand the concerns and the impact that this can definitely have on our community as a whole.”