**Trump Administration Demands States Undo SNAP Benefits Amid Supreme Court Stay**
The Trump administration is ordering states to “undo” full SNAP benefits that were paid out under judges’ orders last week, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to pause those rulings. This move marks the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which serves 42 million Americans.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued the demand after more than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if they are not reimbursed for SNAP benefits authorized before the Supreme Court’s intervention. Nonprofits and Democratic attorneys general had previously sued the Trump administration in November to maintain the program during the government shutdown. Their legal victory led to the swift release of benefits to millions across several states, with the Trump administration initially allowing the program to continue.
However, late Friday night, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused two rulings that had ordered the disbursement of SNAP benefits while the Court considered the Trump administration’s appeal. In response, the USDA contacted state SNAP directors on Saturday to declare that payments under prior court orders are now “unauthorized”. States could face penalties for failing to comply.
“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” wrote Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of Agriculture. “Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.” Penn warned of possible penalties for non-compliance. It remains unclear whether the directive affects states that used their own funds to maintain SNAP or only those relying entirely on federal money. The USDA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a federal court filing Sunday, the agency stated that states moved too quickly and erroneously released full SNAP benefits after last week’s court decisions.
**State and Congressional Responses**
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called the directive “shocking”, particularly if it penalizes states that used their own resources to sustain SNAP. “It’s one thing if the federal government is going to continue its level of appeal through the courts to say, no, this can’t be done,” Murkowski said. “But when you are telling the states that have said, ‘this is a significant enough issue in our state, we’re going to find resources, backfill or front load… to help our people,’ those states should not be penalized.”
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts emphasized that SNAP benefits were processed and loaded onto EBT cards before the Supreme Court’s order, in accordance with prior USDA guidance. “Massachusetts residents with funds on their cards should continue to spend it on food,” she stated Sunday. “President Trump should be focusing on reopening the government that he controls instead of repeatedly fighting to take away food from American families.” Healey added, “if Trump attempts to claw back the money, we will see him in court.”
Democrats have criticized Trump for targeting anti-hunger programs during the government shutdown, arguing that SNAP could have been maintained even with other government operations paused. Senators continued weekend negotiations on ending the stalemate, with their bipartisan package including full funding for SNAP and provisions for reimbursements made during the shutdown.
**States Warn of Financial and Operational Disruptions**
More than two dozen states, represented by Democratic attorneys general, filed a court warning that even before the Supreme Court’s hold, the Trump administration refused to reimburse legally-ordered SNAP payments. Wisconsin, for example, loaded benefits for 700,000 residents after a Rhode Island judge restored the program last week. But after the U.S. Treasury froze reimbursements, Wisconsin expects to run out of money by Monday, according to a statement from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
States cautioned that lack of funds could leave vendors unpaid and trigger escalating legal claims. Their court filing stated, “States could face demands to return hundreds of millions of dollars in the aggregate,” which would “risk catastrophic operational disruptions for the States, with a consequent cascade of harms for their residents.”
Gov. Evers responded swiftly to the Trump administration’s demand to undo the payments: “No,” he stated. “Pursuant to and consistent with an active court order, Wisconsin legally loaded benefits to cards, ensuring nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites, including nearly 270,000 kids, had access to basic food and groceries.” Evers added that the Trump administration had assured states they would make funds available but has not done so.
Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland expressed frustration on CBS Sunday, noting that in six days, the Trump administration issued four different directives regarding SNAP payments. “There is a chaos, and it is an intentional chaos, that we are seeing from this administration,” Moore said.
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**Reporting contributed by**:
Riccardi from Denver
Bauer from Madison, Wisconsin
John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas
Lisa Mascaro in Washington, D.C.
https://whdh.com/news/trump-administration-demands-states-undo-full-snap-payouts-as-states-warn-of-catastrophic-impact/