Federal and state officials are scrambling after the administration directed states to “immediately undo” any steps they took to issue full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The directive follows a sequence of conflicting court rulings and federal actions that have left benefit administrators and recipients in limbo.
Last week a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the government to restore full SNAP payments immediately, accusing officials of withholding funds for “political purposes” and inflicting “needless suffering.” The administration said it would send those payments while it appealed the ruling. On Friday, however, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily stayed the judge’s order, pausing full payments while the appeals proceed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture then warned states that any full payments issued contrary to its instructions were “unauthorized” and could expose states to sanctions. The USDA said it could cancel the Federal share of state administrative costs and hold states responsible for any overissuances that result from noncompliance. The agency reiterated that states must continue reducing benefits by 35%, in line with earlier federal guidance intended to comply with another court order.
Several states, including Rhode Island, had already distributed full benefits before the Supreme Court’s pause. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee criticized the president, saying the administration’s actions have created chaos, harmed families’ ability to feed themselves, and forced the state to consider contingency plans to protect residents.
About two dozen states filed a brief seeking protection from a federal judge in Massachusetts, saying they fear the federal government may try to recover funds already spent by residents. The states warned that recoupment could total hundreds of millions of dollars and would risk severe operational disruptions that would cascade into harm for residents.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins defended the administration’s position on social media and in media appearances, blaming Democrats and what she called “activist judges” for the interruption in benefits and saying court orders are attempting to force funding Congress did not appropriate.
Meanwhile, people who rely on SNAP and the organizations that serve them are feeling the consequences. Facing Hunger Foodbank in Huntington, W.Va., reports tripling its typical distributions for this time of year. CEO Cynthia Kirkhart said the repeated reversals are particularly damaging — raising people’s hopes for benefits, only to have them reversed — and urged a more stable solution to prevent further hardship.