WASHINGTON - The Trump administration will pause aid for Democrat-led states that don't provide the government with identifying information about SNAP recipients, such as immigration status, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday.

If the administration goes through with the threat, millions of Americans could lose their SNAP benefits, sometimes known as food stamps, just over a month after recipients were put in limbo during the longest-ever government shutdown.

Rollins said her department asked all states "to turn over their data" to the federal government in February so that USDA and state agencies could "root out" any fraud in the system.

Rollins said Republican-led states complied and those records helped the administration determine examples of food stamp fraud, but Democrat-run states including California, New York and Minnesota "continue to say no."

It was not clear from Rollins remarks if the administration had proof of fraud prior to requesting the data and USDA representatives did not immediately respond to Axios' request to clarify this.

"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," she said.

When asked for clarification, the USDA told Axios in an emailed statement that they have sent "Democrat States yet another request for data, and if they fail to comply, they will be provided with formal warning that USDA will pull their administrative funds."

The department also alleged that non-compliant states were choosing to "protect illegals, criminals, and bad actors over the American taxpayer."

By the numbers: Roughly 800,000 of the 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps have moved off the program since Trump retook office, according to Rollins. (Source: Axios)

Story Date: December 3, 2025