USDA orders states to stop giving full food stamps to hungry families
The Trump administration has reportedly ordered states to “immediately undo” any and all efforts to provide low-income families with full food stamp benefits, the latest move by the White House to prevent hungry Americans from accessing food aid during the current government shutdown.
States that do not immediately follow the order will face financial penalties from the federal government, according to a USDA memo sent Saturday night. The New York Times first reported on the memo.
A USDA spokesperson did not immediately respond to News themezone’s request for comment.
President Donald Trump and his allies have plunged the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into chaos, refusing to fully fund it until lawmakers end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. About 42 million people rely on SNAP, which is funded by the federal government but administered primarily by states.
After Democrats and some nonprofits sued the administration over SNAP, a court ordered the USDA to pay at least partial benefits using an existing contingency fund. On Thursday, the court strengthened the order, requiring the USDA to pay full benefits for this month using additional available funds. Several states seized the moment to urgently deliver food aid to residents at risk of hunger.
The Justice Department then appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which issued an emergency order temporarily blocking full SNAP payments pending review.
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Americans who use SNAP typically pay for food using an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. States deliver food benefits to residents by sending files to EBT processors who then make the funds available on recipients’ cards.
The USDA memo Saturday night directed states to only submit files for “partial” benefits rather than full benefits, warning that they could lose access to SNAP-related federal funds if they did not comply, even if states have already started doling out full benefits to feed people.
“To the extent that states submitted complete SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was not authorized,” said the memo, written by senior USDA official Patrick Penn. “Accordingly, states should immediately undo any actions taken to issue full SNAP benefits by November 2025.”
Democratic lawmakers have already begun criticizing the administration over the move: Sen. Patty Murray (Washington) called the president “soulless,” while Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) said, “The cruelty is the point.”
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“Trump’s USDA would rather go door-to-door, taking away food assistance people have already received, than do the right thing and fully fund SNAP by November so seniors and struggling children can eat,” House Agriculture Democrats posted on X. “It’s incomprehensible and inconsistent with American values.”