SEATTLE — The Trump administration is demanding states reverse food stamp payments already given to low-income families, adding to the turmoil surrounding the nation's largest anti-hunger program during the ongoing government shutdown.

In a late-night memo Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ordered states to "immediately undo" full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits distributed last week, calling the payments "unauthorized." The directive threatens to hold states financially liable if they fail to comply.

Washington state has already distributed full benefits to approximately 250,000 households—roughly 500,000 people who rely on SNAP for groceries each month.

Shannon Niesen, a Tacoma SNAP recipient who receives $240 monthly for groceries, said she

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