Trump Administration Demands States Roll Back Full SNAP Payments
The Trump administration is demanding states retract full November SNAP benefits that were issued following recent court rulings, deepening the national standoff over the food assistance program amid the ongoing government shutdown.
In a Saturday letter, Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told state SNAP directors that full payments were now considered “unauthorized” after the Supreme Court temporarily blocked lower court orders requiring full disbursement. States were warned they could face penalties if they fail to comply.
“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” Penn wrote. “Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”
The directive came just one day after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson paused lower court rulings that forced the administration to resume full funding. More than two dozen states said they already processed those payments and warned that the federal reversal could wreak havoc on state systems.
Democratic governors across the country have refused to comply. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said SNAP funds had already been loaded onto cards and would not be clawed back.
“President Trump should be focusing on reopening the government he controls instead of repeatedly fighting to take away food from American families,” Healey said.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers flatly rejected the order: “No.” He said nearly 700,000 residents—including 270,000 children—received benefits legally under an active court order and accused the Trump administration of “failing to make funds available” as promised.
Even Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called the directive “shocking,” arguing states that used their own funds to support residents “should not be penalized.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said states had received “four different measures of guidance in six days,” calling the administration’s handling of the crisis “intentional chaos.”
The Supreme Court is expected to decide Tuesday whether states can continue issuing full benefits. The administration argues the funds could be needed elsewhere, insisting only Congress—not the courts—has the authority to reallocate federal resources.
“The answer to this crisis is not for federal courts to reallocate resources without lawful authority,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer said in a filing Monday. “The only way to end this crisis…is for Congress to reopen the government.”
An appeals court on Monday ordered full funding to resume, but that ruling could be halted again if the Supreme Court intervenes.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, which includes full SNAP replenishment. Speaker Mike Johnson summoned the House back to Washington to vote on the bipartisan measure.
Trump has not said whether he will sign it, though he told reporters the deal “looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”
Still, for the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP—roughly one in eight—every day of delay means uncertainty at the dinner table.
The patchwork of court orders and state responses has left families in vastly different positions. Some in states like Hawaii and New Jersey have received full benefits. Others in Nebraska, Texas, and West Virginia have received nothing or partial payouts.
In Pennsylvania, 41-year-old caregiver Jim Malliard said he’s been without his $350 monthly benefit, struggling to feed his family.
“It’s kind of been a lot of late nights, making sure I had everything down to the penny,” he said. “To say anxiety has been my issue for the past two weeks is putting it mildly.”
