The Trump administration has reportedly ordered states to “immediately undo” any and all efforts to provide low-income families with full food stamp benefits ― the latest action by the White House to block hungry Americans from accessing food aid during the ongoing government shutdown.
States who don’t immediately follow the order will face financial penalties from the federal government, according to an Agriculture Department (USDA) memo sent late Saturday night. The memo was first reported on by The New York Times.
A spokesperson for the USDA did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
President Donald Trump and his allies have thrown the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into chaos, refusing to fully fund it until lawmakers end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. About 42 million people rely on SNAP, which is funded by the federal government but mostly managed by states.
After Democrats and some nonprofits sued the administration over SNAP, a court ordered the USDA to at least pay partial benefits using an existing contingency fund. On Thursday, the court escalated the order by requiring the USDA to pay full benefits for this month by using additional available funds. Several states seized the moment to urgently get food aid out to residents at risk of hunger.
