The Trump administration is threatening to withhold some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds from Maine and other Democratic-led states that have refused to provide the names and immigration status of recipients to the federal government.

During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said cuts will begin next week for states that have not provided more data on SNAP recipients. The government is targeting administrative funds, not the benefits people receive, according to the Associated Press.

“We asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them, but also to ensure that the American taxpayer is protected,” Rollins said.

Maine has refused for months to provide the information and this summer joined a lawsuit challenging the request for personal information, including Social Security numbers, birth dates and home addresses. In September, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from disallowing SNAP funds.

Rollins said Tuesday that 28 states and Guam had complied with the data request, but 21 have not.

The federal government last week sent states a letter urging compliance, but the parties agreed to give the states until Monday to respond.

“We have sent Democrat States yet another request for data, and if they fail to comply, they will be provided with formal warning that USDA will pull their administrative funds,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement Tuesday.

It costs $27 million a year to administer SNAP in Maine, meaning the state would lose about $13 million in federal funding, Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District said in an interview Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Gov. Janet Mills said Wednesday that the governor and the Maine attorney general “will stand in the way of this cruel and callous attempt by President Trump to cause Maine people to go hungry.”

The federal government funds benefits for about 42 million people, but states share the cost of running SNAP. Federal law allows the USDA to withhold some of the money states receive for administering SNAP if there’s a pattern of noncompliance with certain federal regulations.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement Wednesday that she urged the USDA to distribute SNAP benefits during the government shutdown to support vulnerable families and is glad food aid “is currently not at risk.”

When it comes to the administrative funds, Collins said she expects any efforts to withhold them to be held up in court.

“In the meantime, I would encourage the state to be transparent with the data the administration has requested to prevent waste, fraud, or misuse of these taxpayer-funded benefits that help so many American families,” Collins said.

Pingree said “it’s outrageous that this administration finds a new excuse every week to withhold food from hungry people.” She questioned the legality of withholding administrative funding.

“These 22 states they haven’t gotten the personal data from are currently in litigation. They don’t have the right to deny states this funding when there is a court activity going on,” she said. “I don’t think what they’re trying to do is actually legal.”

Pingree said her office has been hearing for months from Mainers who rely on SNAP and are worried about whether they will get their benefits.

“When (the Trump administration) is constantly looking for ways to go after SNAP benefits, it creates so much fear among recipients,” she said. “I think that’s cruel and heartless.”

In a statement Wednesday, Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, said that “SNAP prevents Mainers from going hungry and is one of the most vital safety net programs.”

“Maine already provides the information necessary to ensure program integrity, and this new request has already been blocked by one court,” he said. “I expect the courts to continue to rule against the administration.”

A spokesperson for Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said in a statement that the senator would not comment on the USDA’s request for data because Maine is a party in the lawsuit challenging the legality of it.

“That being said, Senator King believes the One Big Beautiful Bill Act places additional burdens on the SNAP program, which states are still trying to implement even as those requirements are in the process of being finalized,” according to the statement Wednesday.

This has led to concerns about recipients inadvertently losing benefits, the statement says.

“As we head into winter and face a rising cost of living, the administration should be doing everything in its power to ensure Americans across the country do not go hungry,” King’s office said.

SNAP was in the spotlight during the government shutdown after the administration said it would not release funding for monthly benefits. That move prompted multiple lawsuits and orders from judges to distribute SNAP. Ultimately, November benefits in Maine were distributed on schedule.

That uncertainty came weeks after the largest ever cuts to the program went into effect in October, putting heightened pressure on Maine food pantries, some of which report record numbers of people seeking assistance.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.