Court Blocks USDA From Cutting Minnesota SNAP Funding

A U.S. District Court judge blocked the United States Department of Agriculture from withholding $80 million in administrative costs for Minnesota’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Judge Laura Provinzino issued the preliminary injunction on January 14, 2026, ruling that the USDA's demand for the state to conduct in-person eligibility interviews for 100,000 households within 30 days was likely illegal because it ignored laws limiting such reviews to once per year.

The legal challenge began with a December 23 lawsuit filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. The USDA had threatened to cut administrative funding, including $20 million for the first quarter, citing a scandal involving the theft of federal welfare funds and a failure to share data with the Department of Government Efficiency. The U.S. Department of Justice defended the move, arguing that Minnesota's issues with other federal programs justified the action.

Minnesota officials alleged the USDA's demands were a targeted effort by the Trump administration to harm state residents due to political animosity toward Governor Tim Walz. The dispute affects approximately 440,000 Minnesotans, including 180,000 children and 70,000 seniors. During a Wednesday hearing, USDA officials admitted they had already begun cutting administrative funds, an action the court's injunction halted.