States face uncertainty as Trump administration tries to reverse SNAP food payments

States administering a national nutrient assistance programme serving astir 42 cardinal Americans faced uncertainty Monday implicit whether they tin — and should — supply afloat monthly benefits during an ongoing ineligible conflict involving the U.S. authorities shutdown.

President Donald Trump’s medication implicit play demanded that states “undo” afloat benefits that were paid nether the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during a one-day model betwixt erstwhile a national justice ordered afloat backing and a Supreme Court justness put a impermanent pause connected that order.

A national appeals tribunal present is considering whether to enforce a longer halt to the afloat benefits. And Congress is considering whether to money SNAP arsenic portion of a connection to extremity the authorities shutdown.

Some states are informing of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the Trump medication does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits they already authorized. Meanwhile, different states are providing partial monthly SNAP benefits with national wealth oregon utilizing their ain funds to load physics payment cards for SNAP recipients.

Trump's medication initially said SNAP benefits would not beryllium available successful November due to the fact that of the authorities shutdown. After immoderate states and nonprofit groups sued, 2 judges each ruled the medication could not skip November’s benefits entirely.

The medication past said it would usage an exigency reserve money to supply 65% of the maximum monthly benefit. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell said that wasn't bully enough, and ordered afloat funding for SNAP benefits by Friday.

Some states acted rapidly to nonstop their EBT vendors to disburse afloat monthly benefits to SNAP recipients. Millions of radical successful those states received funds to bargain groceries earlier Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson enactment McConnell's bid connected clasp Friday night, pending further deliberation by an appeals court.

Millions much people inactive person not received SNAP payments for November, due to the fact that their states were waiting connected further guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP.

Trump's medication has argued that the judicial bid to supply afloat benefits violates the Constitution by infringing connected the spending powerfulness of the legislative and enforcement branches.

On Sunday, the Trump medication said states had moved excessively rapidly and erroneously released afloat SNAP benefits aft past week’s rulings.

"States indispensable instantly undo immoderate steps taken to contented afloat SNAP benefits for November 2025,” Patrick Penn, lawman undersecretary of Agriculture, wrote to authorities SNAP directors. He warned that states could look penalties if they did not comply.

Wisconsin, which was among the archetypal to load afloat benefits aft McConnell’s order, had its national reimbursement frozen. As a result, the state’s SNAP relationship could beryllium depleted arsenic soon Monday, leaving nary wealth to reimburse stores that merchantability nutrient to SNAP recipients, according to a tribunal filing submitted by those that had sued.

Some Democratic governors vowed to situation immoderate national effort to claw backmost money.

In Connecticut, Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said “those who received their benefits should not interest astir losing them.”

“No, Connecticut does not request to instrumentality backmost SNAP benefits already sent to the 360,000 radical who beryllium connected them for nutrient and who should person ne'er been caught successful the mediate of this governmental fight,” Lamont said. “We person their back.”

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Associated Press writers Scott Bauer successful Madison, Wisconsin; John Hanna successful Topeka, Kansas; and Nicholas Riccardi successful Denver contributed to this report.