The Trump administration has escalated its conflict with Democratic-led states by threatening to withhold federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP), a move that could destabilise the food security network for millions of Americans.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will block administrative funds starting next week for 22 states that have refused to hand over detailed recipient data, including immigration status.
Data Dispute and Privacy Concerns
The standoff centres on a federal demand for states to transmit granular personal information regarding SNAP beneficiaries. The data that the agriculture office wants includes immigration status, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifiers.
While the government says the requirement is only meant to prevent fraud, some state officials and advocacy groups contend that this move violates privacy laws and goes beyond federal jurisdiction.
Crucially, the funding freeze targets the operational budget used to pay state employees and maintain computer systems, rather than the benefits themselves. However, experts warn that without administrative funding, states will be unable to process applications or distribute cards, effectively halting the flow of aid to the 42 million citizens who rely on the programme.
The Ultimatum
Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Rollins framed the issue as one of fiscal responsibility. ‘In February of this year, we asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud,’ Rollins said.
‘As of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply, and they tell us and allow us to partner with them to root out this fraud and to protect the American taxpayer.’
Political Divide and Non-Compliance
Rollins noted that while most states already complied with their request, 21 states that are mostly run by Democrats rejected the request. Later, a USDA spokesperson said that the department actually lacked data from 22 states.
In an email, the department’s spokesperson listed 28 states and one territory that have submitted the data. They also mentioned that these 22 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin, have failed to give the data they asked for.
Legal Battles and State Sovereignty
The conflict has triggered a wave of litigation, with states arguing that the federal government is overstepping its constitutional bounds. Just last month, a federal judge stopped the administration from withholding funds for regions that refused to provide such information.
Since then, several Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits challenging the federal government’s approach. The legal filings argue that asking for personal data violates privacy rights and statutory limits on federal authority.
Furthermore, state attorneys general contend that the demand violates the Tenth Amendment by attempting to ‘commandeer’ state officials to enforce federal immigration policy. Critics argue the true intent of the data collection is not fraud prevention, but rather to create a database for immigration enforcement, potentially creating a ‘chilling effect’ that discourages legal immigrants from accessing benefits they are entitled to.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
