States face uncertainty as Trump administration tries to reverse SNAP
food payments
[November 10, 2025]
By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL
States administering a federal food aid program serving about 42 million
Americans faced uncertainty Monday over whether they can — and should —
provide full monthly benefits during an ongoing legal battle involving
the U.S. government shutdown.
President Donald Trump’s administration over weekend demanded that
states “undo” full benefits that were paid under the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program during a one-day window between when a
federal judge ordered full funding and a Supreme Court justice put a
temporary pause on that order.
A federal appeals court now is considering whether to impose a longer
halt to the full benefits. And Congress is considering whether to fund
SNAP as part of a proposal to end the government shutdown.
Some states are warning of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the
Trump administration does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits
they already authorized. Meanwhile, other states are providing partial
monthly SNAP benefits with federal money or using their own funds to
load electronic benefit cards for SNAP recipients.
Millions receive aid while others wait
Trump's administration initially said SNAP benefits would not be
available in November because of the government shutdown. After some
states and nonprofit groups sued, two judges each ruled the
administration could not skip November’s benefits entirely.
The administration then said it would use an emergency reserve fund to
provide 65% of the maximum monthly benefit. On Thursday, U.S. District
Judge John J. McConnell said that wasn't good enough, and ordered full
funding for SNAP benefits by Friday.
Some states acted quickly to direct their EBT vendors to disburse full
monthly benefits to SNAP recipients. Millions of people in those states
received funds to buy groceries before Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson put
McConnell's order on hold Friday night, pending further deliberation by
an appeals court.
Millions more people still have not received SNAP payments for November,
because their states were waiting on further guidance from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP.
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Volunteer Bruce Toben packs groceries durning an emergency food
distribution at the at The Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia's Mitzvah Food Program in Philadelphia, Friday, Nov. 7,
2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Trump's administration has argued that the judicial order to provide
full benefits violates the Constitution by infringing on the
spending power of the legislative and executive branches.
States are fighting attempt to freeze SNAP benefits
On Sunday, the Trump administration said states had moved too
quickly and erroneously released full SNAP benefits after last
week’s rulings.
"States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP
benefits for November 2025,” Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of
Agriculture, wrote to state SNAP directors. He warned that states
could face penalties if they did not comply.
Wisconsin, which was among the first to load full benefits after
McConnell’s order, had its federal reimbursement frozen. As a
result, the state’s SNAP account could be depleted as soon Monday,
leaving no money to reimburse stores that sell food to SNAP
recipients, according to a court filing submitted by those that had
sued.
Some Democratic governors vowed to challenge any federal attempt to
claw back money.
In Connecticut, Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said “those who received
their benefits should not worry about losing them.”
“No, Connecticut does not need to take back SNAP benefits already
sent to the 360,000 people who depend on them for food and who
should have never been caught in the middle of this political
fight,” Lamont said. “We have their back.”
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Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; John
Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed
to this report.
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