Food stamp enrollment drops in WA as immigrants exit program
Food stamp enrollment in Washington state fell sharply between last summer and early this year amid federal cuts to the program and as fewer immigrants accessed benefits.
The decline here is small compared to some other states, but the number of households receiving food assistance dropped from 548,000 in March 2025 to 525,000 in March this year.
State officials say some of the decrease can be attributed to the lingering effects of the lengthy federal government shutdown last fall that threatened the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and similar food programs.
“We really haven’t climbed out of that,” said Claire Lane, director of the statewide Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/05/15/food-stamp-enrollment-drops-in-wa-as-immigrants-exit-program/