WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, after a resounding rebuke of Trump’s failure to address the economic consequences of his policy agenda, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) condemned the ongoing federal government shutdown. Now in its 36th day, the shutdown is the longest in U.S. history, beating the previous Trump administration’s record in 2018-2019. Emboldened by the breakdown of bipartisan governance, extremist politicians are still planning to advance a continuing resolution that fails to address the damage caused by Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which stripped healthcare benefits from millions of Americans to fund mass deportation and detention.

While failing to govern, the Trump administration has deliberately withheld funding from SNAP food benefits, falsely stating that the government cannot use emergency contingency funds to sustain the program during the shutdown. Despite recent court victories and the partial, delayed release of SNAP funding, this administration continues to use hunger as a political weapon to force an unpopular, economically tone-deaf continuing resolution forward. While critical food assistance hangs in the balance, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to operate with impunity across our cities to funnel individuals into detention and deportation quotas.

Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “We expect our nation’s president to act in good faith on behalf of the American people, to put partisan politics aside, and negotiate solutions to the cascading cost-of-living crisis affecting millions of Americans. Instead, the administration is punishing low-income and working-class Americans by withholding food assistance while they struggle to afford healthcare as ACA subsidies expire. This is a slap in the face to the priorities of everyday Americans. The administration is wrongfully focused on punishing hardworking families, scapegoating political foes, and continuing to test the limits of authoritarian overreach to enact an egregious policy agenda that only benefits the ultra-rich.

Yesterday, we saw millions of voters from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Detroit, and Atlanta use their voices to stand up to an agenda of cruelty, division, lawlessness, and irresponsible governing. To those in Congress defending healthcare access, we ask the same: hold the line, fight for transparency, and demand policies that strengthen our communities’ safety and well-being. Our taxes should not fund country-wide campaigns of terror; they should be used to ensure every family can live a prosperous future.”

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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 88 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.