Trump administration demands states ‘undo’ full SNAP payouts as states warn of ‘catastrophic impact’
By SCOTT BAUER and NICHOLAS RICCARDI
President Donald Trump’s administration is demanding that states “undo” full SNAP benefits paid out under judges’ orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings. This move marks the latest swing in a seesawing legal battle over the anti-hunger program used by 42 million Americans.
The demand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came as more than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for SNAP benefits authorized before the Supreme Court’s stay.
Nonprofits and Democratic attorneys general sued to force the Trump administration to maintain the program in November. They won favorable rulings last week, which led to the swift release of benefits to millions in several states. However, even before securing a stay on those rulings through a Supreme Court appeal on Friday night, the Trump administration balked at reimbursing states for the initial round of SNAP payments.
Wisconsin, for example, loaded benefits onto cards for 700,000 residents. But after the U.S. Treasury froze its reimbursements to the state, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration warned in a lengthy statement on Sunday that Wisconsin would run out of money by Monday. The lack of funds could leave vendors unpaid and trigger escalating legal claims, the states cautioned.
“States could face demands to return hundreds of millions of dollars in the aggregate,” a filing at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals states. That situation, the filing concludes, “would risk catastrophic operational disruptions for the States, with a consequent cascade of harms for their residents.”
The Department of Agriculture on Saturday told states it would now consider any payments made last week to be “unauthorized.”
“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of Agriculture, wrote to state SNAP directors. “Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”
Gov. Evers issued a quick response to the Trump administration’s demand. “No,” the governor said in a statement.
“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 said. “After we did so, the Trump Administration assured Wisconsin and other states that they were actively working to implement full SNAP benefits for November and would ‘complete the processes necessary to make funds available.’ They have failed to do so to date.”
https://www.dailynews.com/2025/11/09/trump-administration-demands-states-undo-full-snap-payouts-as-states-warn-of-catastrophic-impact/
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