Mamdani and Trump reach deal to delay new SNAP rules going into effect

(The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reached a deal with President Donald Trump to temporarily delay new SNAP restrictions, with thousands of city bodegas at risk of losing their ability to accept food stamps.

Mamdani said the agreement, announced late Friday, will postpone the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new requirements for 90 days to give neighborhood stores enough time to comply. He said the president has agreed to extend the delay to retailers nationwide.

"I am grateful that President Trump has agreed to delay beginning enforcement of this rule, and we will continue fighting to protect our neighborhood businesses and the New Yorkers who depend on them," Mamdani said in a statement.

The agreement was prompted by concerns from bodega owners that they could lose a significant source of revenue if they were unable to meet federal requirements. The mayor says at some bodegas SNAP purchases account for 15% to 20% of store sales, with even higher numbers in the Bronx and other low-income neighborhoods.

The White House confirmed the temporary reprieve to come into compliance with the new rules, which the Trump administration says are aimed at improving access to more nutritious food.

"President Trump is always willing to work with those interested in helping their business community," the White House said in a statement. "This action offers retailers accepting SNAP 90 additional days to comply with staple food stocking requirements, making sure families have access to more dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein."

Under the new rules, SNAP-authorized retailers must stock at least certain varieties of food in each of four categories: dairy, grains, protein, fruits and vegetables. They must also carry perishable foods in several of those categories, among other requirements.

Some products, including beef jerky, snack bars and fruit spreads, will no longer count toward retailers' stocking requirements, the USDA said, but SNAP recipients will still be able to purchase those items.

Mamdani had written directly to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins last week, urging her to delay the new requirements, saying bodega owners had not been given enough time to comply.

“When hundreds of bodegas came to our administration asking for help, we stood with them,” Mamdani said Friday. “These neighborhood businesses are the backbone of our small business economy and an essential source of affordable food for more than one million New Yorkers – and 36 million Americans – who rely on SNAP.”