Funding Uncertainty & Immigration Fears: How Food Bank For NYC Navigates Trump-Era Policies

On January 27, 2025, the Trump administration issued a memorandum set to direct all federal agencies to temporarily pause the disbursement of federal financial assistance. The memorandum was set to take effect the next day on January 28, 2025. 

 This alarmed many groups that receive federal funding. The American Association of People with Disabilities, AAPD, which advocates for the civil rights of over 70 million disabled Americans, worried that they were also at risk of losing a portion of their funding. Students at colleges and universities who rely on their FAFSA to afford their education were also worried when Trump’s administration made their initial statement. Many nonprofits that rely on federal funding to help their agencies and their missions were also shaken by the announcement.  

 Among the many Nonprofits that receive federal aid is Food Bank For NYC. Food Bank for NYC’s mission is to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. They work with over 800 soup kitchens, pantries, and their campus partners to provide immediate access to food and nutrition education. They also have economic programs that provide New Yorkers the tools to improve their financial wellness. Though it varies yearly, approximately 40% of Food Bank’s funding comes from federal, state and city sources; the rest of their funding comes from their fundraising stream, which consists of private donors.

 I had the privilege of speaking to the Vice President of Philanthropy at Food Bank, Melanie Burhmaster, to learn more about how the threatened federal freeze affected Food Bank For NYC when it was announced, and Food Bank’s present climate. 

 First, I asked Burhmaster to share her thoughts on how President Trump’s presidency could affect Food Bank For NYC and its mission. Burhmaster explained that people were “peripherally concerned” when he was first elected, but now, almost two months after the Trump administration issued the memorandum, she says, “...with what’s happening in the current climate, we are seeing cuts to certain governmental segments; we’re starting to be a little bit more cautious and aware, and [we are] being more proactive and [are] preparing for what can come regardless of cuts.” 

 Federal SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) benefits, for example, are in danger of being reduced. Burhmaster shared that because Food Bank’s clients rely heavily on these resources, that might be where a more significant impact could be seen. “They are going to be turning to us more and more for food,” she explained. 

 The day that the Trump administration announced their decisions on federal funding, the media was certainly in a frenzy. So, I asked Burhmaster if she could recall if anyone at Food Bank for NYC had an initial reaction to the announcement. While in terms of funding she couldn’t recall any immediate reactions, she explained that at Food Bank, “ [they] have been very proactive in connecting with [their] elected officials and educating them as to what the real issue is.”  

An additional concern for organizations like Food Bank for NYC is Trump’s stance on immigration, which has been clear dating back to his first term in 2016. Recently, ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) have been stopping more and more Americans and performing more raids in places that were considered safe in the past. This interrupts and oftentimes disrupts lives in an effort to arrest, detain, and deport undocumented immigrants.  

 According to the 2023 annual report on New York City’s Immigrant Population and Initiatives Office from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, approximately 38% of the NYC population across all five boroughs consists of immigrants. Many of these immigrants rely on Food Bank for NYC. Burhmaster shared with me that “there is a fear of not coming out, or fear of a raid, and people are just living in a state of fear.”

 When asked if the Trump administration's statements about immigration affected attendance at any of the Food Banks program sites, Zac Hall, who is the Senior Vice President of Programs for Food Bank for NYC, explained that the short answer is yes; they have seen effects come from the issues surrounding immigration in our current climate: “We’ve seen pantry clients stay away from pantries because of immigration activity near or actually at pantry locations. Also, pantry volunteers have stayed away from helping at pantry locations for their own fear of being targeted by immigration enforcement. At one of our school pantries in Queens last week, the pantry was cancelled after ICE arrested someone on the street near where families were lined up to access the pantry.”

 However, the effect on Food Bank for NYC has not been entirely negative. When asked if Food Bank has seen an increase in donations from private donors since November, Buhrmaster said, “As a matter of fact, we have. We’re trending about 4% higher on budget.” She says that the marketing team, communication team, and fundraising team have been sending out messages helping donors to understand what’s actually happening and educating them on the need. They’re also helping donors to really understand their impact. Burhmaster explained that she feels as if “they are stepping out in calling. They’re hearing our call to action, and they are saying ‘yes’. ‘We are giving through you, we believe in you, we trust you.’”

 While there are many organizations, lawmakers, etc. that did not support the freeze, there are elected officials who supported President Trump’s memo. A good portion of the Republican Party agreed with the idea of reviewing federal spending and they believed that order fell in line with Trump’s campaign promises. 

 The memo for the federal freeze has since been rescinded with the help of advocates and attorney generals who brought legal challenges to the memorandum in 22 states, as well as the federal judges who opposed it.