The Trump administration has threatened to suspend Snap’s food aid to several Democratic-led states unless they turn over recipients’ data to the federal government.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that the USDA could begin blocking funds as early as next week if Democratic-led states continue to deny federal requests for Snap recipient data — information that includes immigration status and Social Security numbers.
At a Cabinet meeting, Rollins said the USDA needed the data from each state to “root out this fraud, to ensure that those who really need food stamps get them, but also to ensure that the American taxpayer is protected.”
“Twenty-nine states said yes – not surprisingly, the red states, and that’s where all that data, that fraud comes from. But 21 states, including California, New York and Minnesota, the blue states, continue to say no. So starting next week we have started and will start moving federal funds to those states until they comply and they tell us and allow us to work with them to root out this fraud and protect the American taxpayer.”
In a separate statement to the Guardian, a USDA spokesperson said: “USDA has established a Snap Integrity Team to not only analyze data provided by states, but also to purge all available information to end indiscriminate welfare fraud.
“Twenty-eight states and Guam joined us in this fight; but states like California, New York and Minnesota, along with 19 other blue states, continue to fight us.”
The spokesperson added: “They are choosing to protect illegals, criminals and bad actors over the American taxpayer. We have sent another data request to the Democratic states, and if they do not comply, they will receive a formal warning that USDA will withdraw their administrative funds.”
The government did not immediately release a full list of states that would be covered by this plan.
In July, more than a dozen Democratic senators sent a letter to Rollins, calling The administration’s attempt to build a database on federal food aid recipients is an “unlawful invasion of privacy.”
The administration’s latest announcement has drawn renewed criticism of the plan, with Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul proverb on X: “Real question: Why is the Trump administration so determined that people go hungry?”
The same goes for Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee said: “Once again, Trump and Rollins threaten to illegally withhold federal dollars. Snap has one of the lowest fraud rates of any government program, but Trump continues to weaponize hunger.”
Angie Craig, the committee’s ranking member, echoed similar sentiments: proverb: “Instead of addressing the rising cost of living, the Secretary is once again weaponizing hunger by prioritizing political talking points over feeding seniors, children, veterans, and Americans with disabilities.
“Her disregard for the law and her willingness to lie through her teeth comes from the top,” Craig said, calling the Trump administration “as corrupt as it is lawless.”
According to According to Snap’s website, nearly 42 million people relied on the program each month in fiscal year 2024, with 67% of those enrolled in the program being a child, older adult or adult with a disability.
Despite Rollins earlier calling the Snap program “extremely corrupt,” a 2023 USDA fact sheet reported that the “majority of Snap benefits are used as intended.”
Of the 261,770 approved retailers that year, only 1,980 were disqualified, 561 were fined and 1,681 received warning letters.
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