St. Paul, Minnesota — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from withholding $80 million in funding used to administer Minnesota’s food stamp program, ruling that the U.S. Department of Agriculture likely acted unlawfully by imposing an accelerated review deadline on the state.
U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino issued the order during a hearing in federal court, finding that the USDA’s demand that Minnesota complete an eligibility review of roughly 100,000 households within 30 days appeared inconsistent with federal law. The review concerns the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides monthly food benefits to low-income Americans.
Minnesota sued after the USDA warned it would stop covering half of the state’s administrative costs if the deadline was not met, citing concerns about fraud tied to broader misuse of federal social welfare funds. Provinzino said the agency failed to explain why the expedited review was necessary and noted that federal law generally prohibits states from reviewing SNAP eligibility more than once per year.
“USDA is asking the state to violate federal law, regulations, and the state’s own operational plan,” the judge said, referring to procedures previously approved by the agency. Her order prevents the USDA from withholding funds while the lawsuit proceeds, including $20 million the agency had said would not be released for the first quarter of the year. The ruling does not affect monthly SNAP benefits paid directly to recipients.
State officials argued the action was politically motivated, pointing to President Donald Trump’s ongoing disputes with Minnesota and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. Federal attorneys countered that Minnesota could temporarily cover the costs itself and cited past administrative issues in other programs.
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