US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has threatened to suspend federal food assistance to 21 Democratic-leaning states and the District of Columbia amid an ongoing legal dispute over data access for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.

The warning came during the final cabinet meeting of 2025, where Rollins discussed the lawsuit challenging the administration’s demand that states provide identifying information for SNAP recipients, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, and home addresses.

USDA Claims Data Needed to Fight Fraud

Rollins said the data request is aimed at detecting fraud and “protecting the American taxpayer.” She argued that 29 Republican-led states had complied, while 21 Democratic states, including California, New York, and Minnesota, refused to hand over the data.

“So as of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply,” Rollins said, emphasizing that the refusal is political.

Legal Challenges and Court Injunctions

It is uncertain whether the administration can legally enforce the funding suspension. In September 2025, a federal court in Northern California issued a temporary restraining order preventing enforcement of the data request. A temporary injunction was again granted in October.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the move, calling it an attempt to “hijack a nutrition program to fuel [a] mass surveillance agenda.”

Democratic leaders expressed outrage, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul questioning why the administration appeared intent on leaving people hungry. The House Agriculture Committee Democrats also condemned the plan, highlighting that SNAP already has one of the lowest fraud rates of any federal program.

Rollins Pushes Back

Rollins defended the administration, accusing resisting states of seeking to protect “their bribery schemes,” and posted on social media:

“NO DATA, NO MONEY — it’s that simple. If a state won’t share data on criminal use of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of federal SNAP administrative funding.”

SNAP Fraud Context

According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 11.7% of SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2023—about $10.5 billion—were classified as “improper” disbursements, including both overpayments and underpayments.

This is not the first attempt by the Trump administration to leverage SNAP funds. During the 43-day government shutdown earlier in 2025, the USDA temporarily withheld November SNAP payments, prompting lawsuits from dozens of states. Federal courts ultimately ordered the resumption of funding, with the Supreme Court placing a temporary hold on lower court rulings before the shutdown ended on November 12.