USDA Moves to Terminate Employee After Hunger Warning Interview
The U.S. Agriculture Department under President Donald Trump has initiated termination proceedings against a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program specialist who publicly expressed concerns about Americans facing hunger due to program disruptions. Ellen Mei, a SNAP program specialist and union representative, appeared on MSNBC on October 2 to discuss how the government shutdown was affecting both federal workers and USDA food assistance operations.
During her television appearance, Mei explained that workers administering the SNAP program were feeling "overworked and exhausted" because of agency cuts. She detailed how funding could potentially run out if the shutdown continued, highlighting the real possibility of food assistance disruptions for millions of Americans who depend on the program to feed their families.
Retaliation or Policy Enforcement?
The day following her MSNBC interview, the USDA informed Mei—who was based in Boston and furloughed at the time—that she would be fired for publicly discussing program availability without obtaining prior approval. Correspondence reviewed by HuffPost confirmed the termination notice cited her unauthorized public comments as the reason for dismissal.
Mei defended her actions, stating she was simply exercising her First Amendment rights by discussing what the government shutdown could mean for the SNAP program. "I didn't leak secrets or share anything confidential," she said in a statement released through the Federal Unionists Network, where she serves as an organizer. "I told the truth about what's happening to hungry families and the people who serve them."
The SNAP specialist emphasized her commitment to public service, adding: "I took an oath to serve the public – not to stay quiet while our government turns its back on the American people."
Political Fallout and Support
Mei serves as president of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 255, which represents food and nutrition workers within the USDA. Elected union officials often become the only federal employees willing to speak with media, as they receive training on how to do so in compliance with federal regulations. These officials typically clarify that they're speaking in their personal capacity or as union representatives, not as agency spokespeople.
The Trump administration had used the threat of SNAP disruptions to pressure Democrats into conceding in the funding fight, ultimately beginning to withhold food stamp benefits from states. This tactic successfully created leverage in the political standoff over government funding.
Supporters rallied to Mei's defense, with calls for her reinstatement beginning on Friday and a protest scheduled in Boston. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) demanded the USDA reverse what she called the "retaliatory" firing and immediately restore Mei to her position once federal workers returned after the shutdown.
"While communities scrambled to mitigate Trump's attempts to deny families their SNAP benefits despite court orders, Trump and the USDA were working around the clock to stifle Ellen's voice and dissuade others from standing up and speaking out," Pressley stated.
Pressley and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sent a formal letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Friday addressing the matter, increasing political pressure on the department.
Broader Pattern of USDA Staff Reduction
The Federal Unionists Network reports that approximately 18,000 USDA employees have left the agency this year since Trump began pushing federal workers out through early retirement programs and layoffs. During her MSNBC interview, Mei had revealed that about half of her office had been let go in April, indicating significant staff reductions within the department.
"What we really want to do is to be at work helping feed people who rely on SNAP to feed their families and put food on their tables," Mei said during her television appearance. "We feel angry at being treated as political pawns so billionaires can have more money while the people that we serve are being strained further and have to worry about their benefits."
A USDA spokesperson declined to comment on individual personnel matters but stated: "During a lapse in appropriations, furloughed USDA employees are not authorized to perform any official duties, including speaking on behalf of the Department."
In her defense, Mei is expected to argue that she wasn't speaking "on behalf of the department" or performing official duties during her MSNBC interview, but rather exercising her rights as a union representative and concerned citizen.
