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Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that the Trump administration will begin withholding certain federal agriculture funds from Democrat-led states that refuse to provide detailed records on individuals receiving food assistance.
Rollins, speaking during a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, said the Agriculture Department asked all 50 states in February to submit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program data as part of an effort to root out fraud and safeguard taxpayer money. She said 29 Republican-led states have complied, while 21 Democrat-led states have refused to share information.
Beginning next week, she said, the administration will “begin to stop moving federal funds into those states” until they turn over the requested information.
A USDA statement later said that “28 states and Guam joined us in this fight,” while specifying that “states like California, New York, and Minnesota, among 19 other blue states,” have resisted.
The dispute marks the latest clash over federal data-sharing demands tied to SNAP, the country’s largest anti-hunger program. About one in eight Americans receives SNAP benefits monthly, according to federal figures. Administration officials say the data, which includes personal identifying information, are essential for detecting improper payments and identifying ineligible recipients.
Democrat officials and privacy advocates have pushed back, warning that the request could compromise sensitive information, including immigration-related details, and arguing that the department is exceeding its authority. Several Democrat-led states have already sued the administration over related directives, and state officials have suggested additional litigation if the federal government moves to cut funding.
The USDA said it has issued another round of data requests and will formally warn noncompliant states that administrative funds used to run SNAP may be withheld. It remains unclear which funding streams could be affected or how quickly states might feel the financial impact.
The controversy follows threats to stop SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. President Donald Trump wrote on social media at the time that he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He said he instructed government lawyers to prepare to distribute benefits “as soon as possible.”
