DOJO — The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it will begin withholding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from recipients in most Democratic-led states starting next week, after those states refused to provide the Agriculture Department with recipient names and immigration data.
USDA Data Request Sparks Controversy
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said 29 Republican-led states have complied with the department’s request, while 21 states — including California, New York, and Minnesota — have refused. Rollins said the data was requested to “root out … fraud” in the federal food assistance program.
“So as of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states, until they comply and allow us to partner with them to protect the American taxpayer,” Rollins said during a Cabinet meeting.
Political Backlash
The move drew sharp criticism from Democratic officials.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul questioned the administration’s intentions on social media: “Why is the Trump Administration so hellbent on people going hungry?”
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called the action a political attack: “It’s nothing short of ridiculous that the Trump administration is once again trying to withhold SNAP funding over data sharing after a court clearly barred them from doing so.”
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia sued earlier this year to block the USDA’s data demand. Attorneys general argued the request was part of a broader effort to amass sensitive personal data and potentially misuse it.
Legal Challenges and Previous Shutdown
A federal judge in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction in October blocking the administration from withholding SNAP funds from states refusing to comply. The USDA can appeal the ruling, with a decision due by Dec. 15, but the injunction remains in effect.
The dispute follows a lapse in SNAP funding during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which ended Nov. 12 and forced millions of recipients to go without food.
SNAP Program Overview
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program supports nearly 42 million Americans, providing critical food assistance to low-income families and individuals. The Trump administration’s enforcement plan, if enacted, would primarily impact residents in Democratic-controlled states.
