Federal systems locked down at 12:00 a.m. on Nov. 1 as the U.S. government entered a full shutdown, immediately halting the automated issuance of November SNAP benefits nationwide. New Mexico’s Human Services Department confirmed the interruption and on Oct. 31 pre-loaded $30 million in emergency EBT funds to every active card statewide in anticipation of the freeze. Despite that step, Navajo Nation agencies report that 33% of households in San Juan County—roughly 9,000 households—did not receive their normal November benefits.

The shortfall prompted immediate local responses. The Navajo Times published the developing story early on Nov. 1, and the Navajo Department of Child & Family Services opened extra food-bank distribution sites in Shiprock, Upper Fruitland and Waterflow by 10:00 a.m. that day. Television crews from KRQE documented lines of more than 200 residents at the Shiprock Chapter House by 5:30 p.m., and tribal food-bank coordinators say lines tripled within 12 hours of the benefit freeze.

San Juan County’s demographics and geography make the interruption particularly acute. About 42% of the county’s population is Navajo, and large portions of the county outside Farmington are classified as complete food deserts. For many households, especially elders on fixed incomes and families with school-age children, one missed SNAP load translates to 30 days without grocery purchasing power. Local grocery stores report an immediate spike in “no-funds” declines at checkout, an early indicator of consumer cash shortfalls that could depress local retail receipts and strain independent merchants.

State and tribal leaders are mobilizing both short-term relief and longer-term coping strategies. The NM Human Services Department’s $30 million emergency EBT is intended to blunt the initial impact but, according to local estimates, covers only about 40% of the county’s monthly benefit gap. County officials and social-service providers warn that if benefits remain frozen into mid-November, the county could see a ripple effect including rising evictions and increased child-welfare calls as families exhaust other resources.

The immediate market implications are clear: reduced SNAP spending will lower grocery sales in a county already facing limited retail choices, at the same time increasing demand at nonprofit food distributors. That can amplify logistical stress on food banks and deplete inventories faster than they can secure replacements. Local food-pantry coordinators and Navajo Nation agencies are urging residents to register for emergency boxes and to pursue short-term food-security measures such as planting winter greens where feasible.

Several follow-up items remain critical for a full assessment: the exact count of San Juan County EBT cards still at $0, updated inventories at food banks, and whether the federal shutdown resolves before December benefit loads are scheduled. State and tribal dashboards and emergency posts provide rolling updates, but county residents and service providers face an uncertain stretch in the weeks ahead as emergency funds and charitable resources are tested.