WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration said Tuesday it will begin withholding SNAP food assistance from most Democratic-led states next week unless they provide detailed information about program recipients, including names and immigration status. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Cabinet officials that the data is needed to investigate potential fraud, while 22 states and the District of Columbia have sued to block the requirement, arguing federal law does not permit sharing such sensitive personal information.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 29 states have complied with the request issued earlier this year, while 21 have not. Kansas — which was not part of the lawsuit — also declined to submit the data and was warned its benefits could be terminated. North Carolina appears to be the only Democratic-governed state to provide the requested information. States have until Dec. 8 to respond to a federal letter demanding compliance.
Rollins said preliminary data from cooperating states showed 186,000 deceased individuals receiving benefits and 500,000 duplicate payments, though USDA has not released underlying documentation or estimates of improper payments. Experts note that most SNAP fraud involves organized theft or misuse of benefit cards, rather than wrongdoing by recipients themselves.
Democratic officials accused the administration of politicizing food assistance. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office called the threat “morally repugnant,” while Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s spokesperson said the administration is “taking out political vendettas on the people who need these benefits the most.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul questioned why the administration is “hellbent on people going hungry.”
SNAP, which provides food aid to 42 million Americans, has faced heightened political attention after recent expansions of work requirements and disputes over funding during the federal shutdown. The average monthly benefit is roughly $190 per person.
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