The Trump administration has threatened to suspend food assistance funds for several Democratic-led states unless they provide recipient data, including immigration status and social security numbers, to the federal government. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Tuesday that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) could begin blocking funds as early as next week for non-compliant states.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Rollins said the USDA needed the data to 'root out this fraud' and protect American taxpayers. She claimed that 29 states, mostly Republican-led, had agreed to share data, while 21 states, including California, New York, and Minnesota, had refused. Rollins stated that federal funds would be withheld until those states comply.
A USDA spokesperson reiterated the stance, saying the department had established a Snap integrity team to analyse data and end welfare fraud. The spokesperson accused non-compliant states of protecting 'illegals, criminals and bad actors' over taxpayers. The administration did not release a full list of targeted states.
The move has drawn sharp criticism. New York Governor Kathy Hochul questioned why the administration was 'hellbent on people going hungry'. Democrats on the House agriculture committee called the threat illegal, noting that Snap has one of the lowest fraud rates among government programmes. Ranking member Angie Craig accused Rollins of 'weaponizing hunger' and disregarding the law.
According to the Snap website, nearly 42 million people relied on the programme in fiscal year 2024, with 67% of participants being children, elderly adults, or adults with disabilities. A 2023 USDA factsheet reported that the majority of Snap benefits are used as intended, with only a small fraction of retailers facing penalties for fraud.
