The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) announced that approved Arizona households participating in SNAP will not receive benefits for November until federal funding is released to the states.

The Hobbs administration is facing widespread criticism after state officials admitted they had known for two weeks that assistance would be halted but waited until last Thursday to inform the public. When asked on Friday why the announcement wasn’t made sooner, Governor Hobbs responded, “I thought people knew about this.”

The delay stems from a directive by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) instructing states to withhold benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown and insufficient contingency funds.

The DES announcement does not reference any public statement from Governor Hobbs’ office. As of this writing, there is no mention of the November SNAP disruption on the governor’s official “News Releases” page.

Two days ago, Governor Hobbs posted on social media, “Arizonans shouldn’t pay the price for Washington Republicans’ political games. Withholding food assistance is devastating for families just trying to get by. I’ll always fight to protect the resources Arizonans rely on.”

While some states are coordinating with their legislatures to ensure SNAP benefits continue during the federal pause, it remains unclear what specific actions Governor Hobbs is taking to “fight” for Arizona families affected by the suspension.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined 22 other attorneys general in sending a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, demanding clarity and accountability after the agency warned states that SNAP funding may soon lapse due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

The letter outlines concerns over the severe impact on millions of Americans, including children, seniors, and veterans, who rely on SNAP to meet basic nutritional needs. Mayes emphasized that nearly 900,000 Arizonans could lose food assistance, calling the situation “a direct assault on the health and well-being of millions of Americans.”

The attorneys general noted that USDA’s October 10 directive ordered states to halt transmission of November SNAP benefit files to EBT vendors without citing legal authority or explaining its rationale. They argue that USDA has billions in contingency funds available, at least $6 billion earmarked for emergencies, and could also draw from Section 32 funds to prevent disruption.

The group pressed USDA to answer key questions by October 27, including how much contingency funding remains, whether the agency plans to use it, and why it ordered states to “hold” benefits rather than issue reduced payments consistent with available resources.

She was joined in the letter by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Hawai‘i, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, Maine, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Michigan, New York, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, Oregon, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Washington.

As of this morning, Governor Hobbs has not held a news conference or issued any substantive public statement addressing the SNAP crisis. Despite growing concern from Arizona families and calls for clarity from state and federal officials, the governor’s office remains silent on how, or even whether, the administration plans to respond to the disruption.