USDA tells states to reverse November SNAP payments after court ruling: 'This was unauthorized'

WASHINGTON, DC:  The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) ordered states on Saturday, November 8, to reverse course and retract full November food stamp benefits that were distributed following a court decision, warning that failure to comply could result in the cancellation of future federal funds.

In a memo, Patrick A Penn, the USDA’s deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services, said states must “immediately undo” any steps taken to issue full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November.

“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” Penn wrote.

“Failure to comply with this memorandum may result in USDA taking various actions, including cancellation of the Federal share of State administrative costs and holding States liable for any over issuances that result from the noncompliance,” he added.

Legal battle deepens amid shutdown and hunger fears

The directive reverses guidance issued just a day before on Friday, when the department told states to proceed with full payments after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release funds.

But that order was paused by the Supreme Court, which sent the case back to a lower court for further review.

The Supreme Court’s intervention came as part of a fast-moving legal battle over whether the federal government must continue funding SNAP, which provides food assistance to more than 40 million low-income Americans.

SNAP benefits were covered for October, the first month of the shutdown, but at the end of that month, USDA warned that November payments would not go out, saying "the well has run dry," blaming Democrats for the lapse.

Two lawsuits, filed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts just before November 1, sought to compel the Trump administration to resume full SNAP disbursements.

Following one of the cases, the USDA briefly allowed partial payments, and last week a federal judge ordered the government to restore full benefits for November.

Several states began issuing those payments almost immediately.

But the Supreme Court’s decision halted the process, prompting Saturday’s memo demanding states “undo” the transactions, even as the USDA provided no details on how to recover funds already distributed to millions of households.

States push back as governors vow to defy order

The USDA’s latest move drew swift backlash from Democratic governors, who said that they would not claw back money already credited to families’ food stamp accounts.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that JD Vance and Donald Trump are "playing politics with food assistance for the poor." 

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said recipients should “continue to spend their funds,” adding that her state would take the Trump administration to court if it tried to penalize Massachusetts for preventing hunger.

“If President Trump wants to penalize states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court,” Healey said on Sunday.

“These funds were processed in accordance with guidance we received from the Trump Administration and a lower court order,” she added.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers was even more blunt. He gave a one-word statement- "No."

"Our administration is actively in court fighting against the Trump Administration’s efforts to yank food assistance away from Wisconsin’s kids, families, and seniors,” Evers added. “We are eager for the court to resolve this issue.”