Trump threats to MN cause widespread confusion

After President Donald Trump said federal payments to states with sanctuary cities would stop Feb. 1, community resources across Minnesota began preparing for the potential impact. Many organizations say funding has not yet changed in the new month, but the threats alone have caused confusion.

“Nobody but Minnesotans do mutual aid like Minnesotans do mutual aid,” said Sharon Abel, executive director of Groveland Emergency Food Shelf. “I have supported and helped and met so many folks doing some really incredible work, neighbors who see a need and find a way to feed 35 families a week. 

“These aren’t organizations. These aren’t people funded through any government entity. These are just human beings who care about other human beings.”

The community Groveland serves has been affected by funding cuts over the past year, Abel said, though the food shelf itself is funded by the state and donations. Abel believes Trump’s statement was intended to instill fear.

“When people are scared, they tend not to think critically, and they tend to react and maybe make choices they’re going to regret,” she said.

Groveland’s primary focus right now is caring for people impacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Abel said the number of guests visiting the food shelf has been cut in half because many are afraid to leave their homes. In response, Groveland is delivering food to about 1,200 additional families. The organization has tripled the amount of food it orders and hired another staff member.

The Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood is also adjusting services to support community members affected by ICE and those who may be impacted by potential cuts to Medicaid, child care and SNAP.

“The confusion alone is what puts a wedge in the progress with folks accessing food, because some people may not even try and therefore miss out on opportunities that are still available right now,” said Benny Roberts, executive director of the center. “That’s not to say it won’t change today or tomorrow, when people’s access is actually cut off, but right now there’s a lack of clarity.”

Roberts said the center can help subsidize and supplement services for people who no longer have benefits. In response to possible cuts, the center appealed to supporters and sponsors and has received an influx of food donations. “We’re prepared to be able to serve more families,” Roberts said.

The center’s food shelf is coordinating with community members who want to volunteer to deliver food to people afraid to leave their homes. It also offers a simple pickup service that allows individuals to pick up food on behalf of another family and place orders online or by phone.

With health care benefits also in jeopardy, Hallie Q. Brown launched its Partners in Prevention Clinic to provide free preventive health care services. Through the program, which includes several partners, services include blood pressure checks, advanced cardiac screenings, dental services and prediabetes screenings.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to withhold more than $2 billion annually in Medicaid funding after rejecting Minnesota’s corrective action plan to combat fraud. While appealing the decision, the state has submitted a revised plan, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, which oversees Medicaid.

“A $2 billion annual cut will destabilize Minnesota’s health care system,” the department told the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder in a statement. “It would create impossible choices when it comes to funding health care and other parts of the state budget. Under Minnesota law, the budget reserve is not available for this purpose.”

“The Minnesota Department of Human Services will do everything in our power to minimize the damage,” the statement continued. “But we’ve stated time and again, both with the funding reductions in HR1 and CMS’ proposed withholds, the state cannot absorb billions of dollars in cuts and preserve needed services at current levels.”

Roberts said the clinic will help people who face barriers to accessing health care. “Maybe they don’t have insurance, or maybe their Medicare benefits are inactive because of some of the other threats and cuts to Minnesota residents,” he said.

Addressing the freezing of Minnesota child care funds, Roberts said the center assists families through referrals and connections to resources. “The combination of our food shelf intervention, which also includes our clothing closet, and our Partners in Prevention Clinic are practical, tangible ways community members can still access critical resources without interruption, even without SNAP benefits or Medicare,” he said.

Second Harvest Heartland, a hunger-relief organization, is also working to keep residents informed about state and federal changes amid widespread confusion. One way it does this is through its call center.

“We are staying on top of the changes and trying to communicate clearly when we have reliable information to help people understand what the impact might be on their benefits or eligibility,” said Zach Rodvold, the organization’s director of public affairs.

Over the past year, the organization has felt the impact of cuts to federal nutrition programs, including the elimination of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is set to take effect in the spring, Rodvold said. Combined with the effects of the past government shutdown, those changes have increased demand at food shelves.

Threats to funding that affect other basic needs also increase demand for emergency food assistance, Rodvold said.

“There’s no place to go for free rent or free mortgages or free utilities or gas,” he said. “But there is a place where most people can find free food assistance when they need it. That’s a testament to the strength of Minnesota’s hunger-relief network, but it’s also become unsustainable. We were not designed to support this many people for this long.”

While community resources play a critical role, Rodvold said stronger partnerships at the federal and state levels are needed to reduce demand through investments and policy solutions. Second Harvest Heartland continues to prioritize helping eligible residents enroll in SNAP, which Rodvold said is one of the most effective tools for preventing hunger.

“The scale of SNAP and other federal programs is far beyond what the charitable sector can do,” he said. “There’s just no way we can make up the difference on our own.”

For every one meal provided by Feeding America, SNAP provides nine meals, according to the organization, which operates a network of 200 food banks and distributes more than 4 billion meals annually.

The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families, which manages SNAP and child care benefits, has created a Federal Funding Action Tracker to outline funding issues the state is monitoring and litigating.

Damenica Ellis welcomes reader responses at dellis@spokesman-recorder.com.