WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump administration has moved to suspend federal food assistance funding to 21 Democratic-led states following their refusal to share detailed data on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.
The decision, which officials say is aimed at combating widespread welfare fraud, has sparked a nationwide debate intensified by a viral video showing a New Jersey woman allegedly holding more than $23,000 on her food stamp balance.
According to federal officials, the action stems from a request by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for states to provide recipient records—including names and immigration status—to identify duplicate, deceased, or ineligible beneficiaries. Twenty-nine states complied with the data request, while 21, including New York, California, Minnesota, and New Jersey, declined.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said preliminary reviews from the cooperating states uncovered more than 186,000 instances of Social Security numbers belonging to deceased individuals and hundreds of thousands of duplicate accounts.
The administration said the data-sharing initiative was intended to ensure taxpayer funds are being properly distributed and that those who truly qualify continue to receive benefits.
Rollins told reporters that states refusing to cooperate would see a freeze on SNAP and related child-nutrition funding until they provide the requested information.
The dispute comes as social media users circulate videos showing individuals displaying unusually high Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) balances, including one clip purportedly featuring a woman in New Jersey checking her card balance at over $23,000.
The video, viewed millions of times online, has fueled public anger and added political pressure to investigate potential fraud in state-run welfare programs. Authorities have not verified the authenticity of that specific video, but federal officials have cited similar cases as examples of why the data review is necessary.
Democratic-led states have pushed back, filing a coalition lawsuit that argues the USDA’s demand for personally identifiable information is an unlawful overreach and violates federal privacy protections. State officials maintain they already verify eligibility through established procedures and contend the administration’s move threatens to withhold essential food aid from millions of low-income residents.
President Donald Trump defended the decision during a cabinet meeting, saying federal agencies must ensure that “programs meant for people in need aren’t abused or manipulated.”
The administration’s action is expected to affect millions of households if the funding freeze remains in place.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said he will fight to restore the funding, arguing that the President is cutting off food to people, marking ‘the first time in history’ this has been done in America.
