It’s not just about sending Federal law enforcement officers To Minnesota.
President Donald Trump’s administration is also attacking the state by threatening to withhold billions in federal funds, much of which is intended to help low-income families with food assistance, health care and child care — and with a new lawsuit against the state.
The Trump administration has largely criticized Democratic-run states, but it has succeeded The prime example is MinnesotaWhere the president took office last month He described the Somali population in the state as “trash.”“, and targeting it with measures that we have not seen anywhere else.
The administration has not explained its exact plans in most cases, and it is not clear if some of the money will actually stop flowing — or when, if so.
The Trump administration unleashed A wave of threats To stop some federal funds from flowing to other states as well — including federal funds to “sanctuary cities” that limit cooperation with state and federal immigration officials.
Minnesota was highlighted for some of the cuts as Trump repeatedly criticized Gov. Tim Walz over fraud in federal programs. Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee and a prominent Trump critic, He ended his campaign This month for a third term, saying he cannot run a campaign while fending off attacks and running the country.
Minnesota is backing down in the courts or otherwise.
Here’s a look at the freezes planned in Minnesota.
The Agriculture Department said it had frozen funding in the state and its largest city, Minneapolis, but without providing many details. “No more handouts to thieves!” Agriculture Secretary Brock Rollins said in a Jan. 9 social media post announcing the measure.
In a letter to Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, she cited… Major fraud case It includes a USDA-funded pandemic relief program that imploded in 2022 with 78 people charged — and 57 convicted.
Rollins said she has suspended all current and future awards to the city and state and required them to provide justification for payment for all transactions since Jan. 20, 2025, the day Trump returned to office. Justifications will be required to receive future funds as well.
Rollins said the total prizes at stake were more than $129 million but did not specify which programs were included. Its administration did not clarify whether the amount includes payments that go to individuals, or only those that go to government agencies.
Based on the number provided by Rollins, the freeze does not appear to include funds for… Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programwhich helps about 1 in 12 Minnesotans buy groceries. Minnesotans received more than $850 million through this program in 2024. However, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families website says the department is analyzing any impacts on SNAP.
The National School Lunch Program, which provides and subsidizes school meals, also appears not to be included in the program. Minnesota was expected to receive more than $240 million in this program in the budget year ending September 30.
The Ministry of Agriculture also runs programs targeting food producers, including disaster aid and price supports.
It’s not clear exactly what programs might lose funding, but the state has begun receiving notices of some of the pauses, including the University of Minnesota’s poultry testing lab, Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Tom Peterson said at a news conference on Wednesday. This leaves uncertainty about who will pay if bird flu is found on the farm and the birds have to be removed, he said.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also told Minnesota last week that it intends to withhold $515 million every three months from 14 Medicaid programs deemed high-risk after rejecting a corrective action plan requested by the federal government over allegations of fraud.
Programs identified as high-risk include adult companionship services, residential treatment services, and non-emergency medical transportation.
The amount to be withheld equals a quarter of the federal funds allocated to those programs.
In a call with reporters Tuesday, the state Department of Human Services said it was filing an administrative appeal of the freeze.
They said the department has focused on anti-fraud measures for more than a year and questioned the federal action, which they said was unlike anything they found in other states.
“Minnesota cannot absorb the loss of more than $2 billion in annual funding for these programs without catastrophic consequences for the people we serve,” said Interim Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi, adding that the state could not find other examples of similar federal decisions.
“This is not a corrective measure,” she added. “It is a punitive measure.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services informed Minnesota in late December that it would freeze funds in the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which supports child care for low-income families, and told the state it had to provide attendance records and other information before the money could flow again.
Last week, the Trump administration said it was Stop payments Of the child care money, along with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which provides job training and cash assistance, and the Social Services Block Grant, which funds a variety of social services, for Minnesota and four other states where Democrats lead government.
The five states – along with Minnesota, California, Colorado, Illinois and New York – filed a lawsuit. Advocates and officials have warned that cutting the child care subsidy would put many day care providers at risk of layoffs and closure. They can put the families of all their clients in trouble, not just those who rely on benefits.
last week, A federal judge ruled The administration cannot withhold funds at the present time.
On Wednesday, the federal administration launched another line of attack on Minnesota state government.
The U.S. Department of Justice has sued the state government in federal court over affirmative action requirements. The lawsuit seeks to end programs aimed at diversifying the government workforce, claiming that “Minnesota requires its hiring managers to jump through additional hurdles to hire employees with unfavorable skin colors or sex chromosomes.”
The lawsuit also seeks money for employees and potential employees who were affected.
The state Attorney General’s Office said it would respond in court.