Ellison Says He'll Sue Trump Administration Over Minnesota-Specific SNAP Cut

By Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer

January 14, 2026

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he plans to sue the Trump administration after it pledged to freeze federal funding for food stamps awarded to Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis, citing the years-long fraud scandals that have plagued public programs.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, in a letter posted to social media and addressed to Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey last week, said the agency was suspending payment of about $129 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rollins said the widespread fraud in social services programs means that the feds need to take stringent action.

The fraud “necessitates federal action to protect taxpayer dollars until adequate safeguards can be established.”

The Minnesota U.S. Attorney, which has been investigating fraud cases since 2021, has leveled charges related to Medicaid fraud and theft from a pandemic-era program intended to feed hungry children, but nothing related to food stamps, the USDA’s main anti-hunger program now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Rollins said Minnesota and Minneapolis will need to provide “payment justifications” within the next 30 days for USDA payments, which include SNAP benefits, also referred to as food stamps.

“I will not allow you to take from Minnesotans in need,” Ellison said in an X post responding to Rollins’ letter. “I’ll see you in court.”

Around 440,000 Minnesotans rely on SNAP; 152,000 are children, 72,000 are seniors and 52,000 are adults with disabilities. Nearly half of recipients live outside of the Twin Cities.

The Department of Children, Youth and Families, which oversees SNAP benefits, said it’s working with local partners to determine the impact of the funding freeze. The city of Minneapolis echoed the state’s comments.

“We’re communicating with state partners to understand the impacts of such a blanket cut to funding meant for residents most in need,” said Brian Feintech, a spokesperson for Minneapolis. “What’s abundantly clear is that Minneapolis is the latest target of the Trump administration — willing to harm Americans in service to its perceived political gain.”

Zach Rodvold, director of public affairs for Second Harvest Heartland, said there are few details about the funding freeze, so it’s unclear how Minnesota food shelves will be affected because Rollins’ letter provided no specifics. The next batch of SNAP benefits are scheduled to be paid out on Feb. 4.

Minnesota and other Democratic-led states have refused to provide data about SNAP recipients to the federal government, including recipient immigration status. Twenty-two states have sued over the request for information, which was made in February.

Rollins cited the state’s unwillingness to share its “SNAP rolls” as a reason to freeze the funds, in addition to the high profile fraud cases in Minnesota such as the Feeding Our Future scandal and fraud in the Housing Stabilization Services program.

The USDA funding freeze is unrelated to a Friday order from a federal judge that blocked the Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in funding for child care and social services in five Democratic-led states.

The SNAP funding freeze is only the latest in a barrage of retaliatory measures the Trump administration is taking against Minnesota as the widespread fraud scandal has captured the president’s attention.

The Department of Homeland Security has conducted on-site visits to child care centers suspected of fraudulent billing. The Trump administration is also investigating Minnesota’s Head Start program, small business annual grant payments, public housing assistance programs, and Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance program.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..