California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to deploy National Guard troops in November to support food banks across the state. This action is in response to expected delays in federal food assistance resulting from the ongoing government shutdown.
Approximately 40 million people in the United States rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with about 5.5 million recipients in California. Governor Newsom warned that families should prepare for a disruption in these benefits next month.
“This is serious, this is urgent – and requires immediate action,” Newsom stated.
This deployment differs from previous uses of the California National Guard under President Donald Trump, who sent troops to protect federal buildings and assist immigration agents in Southern California as part of his immigration policies. Trump also deployed or attempted to send guard troops to cities such as Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon.
Newsom, who has frequently opposed Trump’s actions, recently argued that the federal government cannot override a state’s authority to protect its residents. A federal appeals court heard arguments regarding Trump’s deployment of troops to Los Angeles, following a lower court’s ruling that found the federal government had violated federal law.
The governor’s office announced that $80 million will be quickly allocated to food banks in nearly every county in California. Newsom’s administration noted that this builds on previous efforts to address food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the National Guard and state-run volunteers helped distribute 800 million meals statewide. Additional details about the new initiative are expected as November approaches.
Changes to SNAP requirements under recent federal legislation have introduced stricter work requirements for recipients. Some advocacy groups, such as the California Immigrant Policy Center, have expressed concern that deploying the National Guard could cause anxiety among immigrant communities due to its association with previous enforcement actions. However, Josh Stehlik, policy director for the group, said he was reassured by Newsom’s statement that the Guard would not act as law enforcement.
“It makes sense to mobilize the National Guard for the humanitarian purpose of delivering much needed and critical food assistance to people during an emergency that’s been caused by the federal government shutdown,” Stehlik said.
In addition to the National Guard, volunteers from a state-run program will also assist food banks in their efforts.
