Author: Carly Eckstrom

Deputy Director,
Minnesota Budget Project

More guns, less butter: How massive federal funding increases for ICE are costing us all

On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid and SNAP, our country’s core basic needs programs. These cuts paid primarily for two things: 1) a tax package that gives the biggest tax cuts to the nation’s wealthiest, and 2) an extreme spending increase on immigration enforcement.

Federal changes to SNAP mean more Minnesotans could go hungry and Minnesota will face new costs

In legislation signed into law on July 4, 2025, Congressional Republicans chose to enact the largest cut to food benefits for very low-income people through SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called Food Stamps), in its history. These drastic cuts to SNAP will increase poverty, food insecurity, and hunger, including among children.

State’s February Budget Forecast shows challenges facing Minnesota, which will worsen if Congress makes big funding cuts

Minnesota continues to expect budget surpluses in the short term but a significant shortfall in the future, and the state budget situation has become more challenging, according to the state’s February 2025 Budget and Economic Forecast released on March 6.