US agriculture department tells states to ‘undo’ Snap benefits for families in need

Directive comes after supreme court order allowing Trump officials to pause food aid payments amid shutdown

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is directing states to immediately undo" any steps that have been taken to send out full food aid benefits to low-income Americans, following a supreme court order on Friday that temporarily halted a lower court order requiring those payments.

The USDA's directive, issued in a memo on Saturday, followed a supreme court order granting the Trump administration's emergency request to pause an order for the USDA to provide full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown, which is now in its 40th day.