The Trump administration once again circles back with threats to suspend SNAP, but this time for Blue States

Dec. 3, 2025

USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollings' threat to withhold SNAP benefits may defy a Court ruling over data privacy. And it marks a second attempt this year that Trump administration officials have sought to politicise the Nation's largest anti-poverty assistance policy. During the Government shutdown, President Donald J. Trump (R) reportedly used with the withholding of food stamps as a bargaining chip during the longest budget impasse in U.S. history.

Further Reading :

• Trump administration will block SNAP management funds for blue states [The Washington Post]
  Dec. 2, 2025 — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said officials won’t send money to administer food stamps to states that don’t share information about benefits recipients with the federal government.
• Trump officials threaten to withhold Snap funds from Democratic-led states [The Guardian]
  Dec. 2, 2025 — The Trump administration has threatened to suspend Snap food assistance to several Democratic-led states unless they turn over recipient data to the Federal Government.
• States Sue Trump Administration Over Efforts to Get Food Stamp Data [The New York Times]
  July 28, 2025 — A coalition of 21 states and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration on Monday, seeking to block a Department of Agriculture demand that states surrender sensitive personal information about millions of food stamp recipients.

Source Documents :

• State of Californa, et al. v. USDA, et al. - Order Granting Plantiff States' Motion for a Preliminary Injunction : Maxine M. Chesney
  USDA has demanded that all States provide to USDA information from their SNAP records, including personal information about applicants and recipients, and has given notice that it will withhold a significant amount of SNAP funding from any State failing to comply with such demand. Plaintiffs, consisting of twenty-two States and the District of Columbia), seek an order preliminarily enjoining USDA from making such demand and from instituting or continuing noncompliance proceedings against them.

Key Words :

• Angela D. Craig
• Brooke L. Rollins
• Kathleen Hochul
• Letitia James
• Robert A. Bonta
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program