When Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to agree on a new federal spending bill two months ago, the federal government entered a shutdown that has now stretched beyond four weeks—now the longest in history, according to ABC News. In New York City, the effects are already being felt: federal workers are going unpaid, national parks, such as the Statue of Liberty and Gateway National Recreation Area, are closed and city services that rely on federal funding are struggling to operate. Additionally, transit systems face funding delays, and programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are at risk.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass legislation that funds federal agencies and programs, leaving them without operating money. The current impasse, explained by Elijah Sivin, a history faculty member and Director of Service Learning, stems from the Democratic Party demanding attention to the issue of healthcare spending, specifically regarding the Affordable Care Act. This has sparked a partisan conflict, as Republicans have tried to redirect the attention of the government elsewhere.

The result of this shutdown has been disorganization across multiple levels of government — thousands of furloughed employees, suspended public services, and growing uncertainty among families who mostly depend on federal support.

“Nearly three million New Yorkers could lose the food assistance they rely on each month to feed their families,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at a rally hosted in Albany on October 27, according to the New York State Government website. There, she funneled $65 million by declaring a state of emergency to allocate state funds to assistance for food pantries and soup kitchens to fill the widening gap left by Washington DC’s stalemate. “No one should have to worry about where their next meal will come from because of political gridlock in Washington,” she further added.

For many New Yorkers, the situation has escalated from inconvenience into crisis. 

The threat of losing SNAP benefits has sparked widespread anxiety, particularly for low-income communities where the program serves as a lifeline, according to NPR. SNAP provides monthly funding to help low-income individuals and families purchase groceries. Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it supports nearly 3 million New Yorkers each month, many of whom rely on these benefits to afford basic necessities like fresh produce, milk and bread, according to a report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller.

“I’m afraid it’s going to kill me.” Susan, a former SNAP recipient who declined to share her last name for privacy purposes, told NPR about the lack of funding for the program. “I have other medical conditions that will be affected by poor nutrition. And, you know, I still have things to offer. I’m not ready to die for political reasons.” 

After an October 31 order that demanded that the Trump administration continue SNAP payments, the federal government has partially committed to funding the program, with a prospective $4.65 billion payment, according to ABC News. However, a top USDA official told ABC that paying for these benefits could take “a few weeks up to several months.” 

In the meantime, local organizations have mobilized to meet immediate needs. In Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the Chinese-American Planning Council has “expanded their food distribution efforts to serve hundreds of residents,” according to Fox News. “We’re operating a food pantry and distributing 350 shares of fresh produce to our community,” Executive Director Steve Mei told Fox, adding that they would continue this effort as long as the need for it persists.

On Long Island, Struggletown BBQ in Mount Sinai is offering free meals to those who have been affected by the loss of SNAP benefits, according to Fox News. “We can’t let people go hungry,” said co-owner John Leonard to Fox, “anyone who shows their SNAP card will get a free sandwich and a drink.”

Yet the crisis extends far beyond food insecurity. According to the Guardian, dangerous behaviors have been increasing exponentially in the national parks that remain open during the shutdown. Virginia Dillon, the Chair of the History Department, credited the uptake to “there [being not] enough people there [in the parks] to stop them” due to a lack of government funds. 

The Guardian also reports that this includes base jumping off of high peaks, swimming in prohibited areas and climbing cables without permission in parks nationwide. According to San Francisco Bay Area’s local news source SFGATE, a fire just south of the Black Rock Campground in Joshua Tree National Park forced an evacuation of the campground and closures of the Black Rock Visitor Center and surrounding trails around two weeks into the shutdown. Due to low staffing resulting from the shutdown and lack of federal funding, updates on the fire were incredibly slow and left a lot of potential visitors in the dark, according to SFGATE. 

These cascading consequences have left many wondering when, or how, the shutdown will end. The honest answer remains unclear. Political tensions are higher than ever, and both parties seem entrenched in their positions, but the Democrats are eager to negotiate. “Democrats stand ready to meet with [President Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson] face to face, anytime and anyplace,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Hakeem Jeffries in a letter addressed to the White House, according to Politico.

Sivin stated that he believes that the shutdown will be conditional on Trump’s terms, as there has been a trend in his negotiation style favoring hardline tactics. According to AP News, President Trump said that he “won’t be extorted” by the Democrats to reopen the government. Furthermore, on a segment of CBS’s 60 Minutes, he said that if the Democrats don’t vote in a way that will end the shutdown, then that’s “their problem.”

For students at Poly, the shutdown’s effects may feel distant, but its impact ripples close to home. Many families in the community may work in fields tied to public service, transportation or education — sectors now strained by federal funding delays. Living in New York City, where national policy decisions often have local consequences, means that even classroom discussions and dinner-table conversations are shaped by this uncertainty.

Until the shutdown is resolved, Dillon reminds students to “talk to [the family members we may encounter on holiday] and listen and try to understand if [they] have… different political points of view, … not arguing with them, but actually listening.”