New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her state was prepared to challenge the decision in court, as Democratic-led states have done dozens of times since the Trump administration took office. “We’ll fight this with every fiber of our being, because our kids should not be political pawns in a fight that Donald Trump seems to have with blue state governors,” Hochul said.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ office said in a statement: “These resources support families in need and help them access food and much more. If true, it would be awful to see the federal government targeting the most needy families and children this way.”

A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom defended the state’s record on combating fraud in government programs.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, said the funding halt was aimed at political gain rather than fraud prevention. “It’s our job to serve the people most in need and most at risk — no matter what state they live in or what political party their family or elected representatives belong to,” she said. “To use the power of the government to harm the neediest Americans is immoral and indefensible.”

President Donald Trump posted on social media Tuesday: “The Fraud Investigation of California has begun.” He did not address the specifics of the funding action.

Minnesota funds already withheld; broader pattern of funding freezes

Federal child care funding had already been withheld from Minnesota since late December amid investigations into alleged fraud schemes at day care centers. HHS officials said no state would receive child care funds without providing additional verification, though several states told the Associated Press they had not received any guidance on that requirement.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said on Fox News that his agency also plans to audit Minnesota’s Medicaid bills for potential fraud. He did not cite evidence of fraud that had been found.

The administration has separately invoked fraud concerns to withhold administrative funds for SNAP, the country’s main food aid program, from states — primarily Democratic-run ones — unless they provide requested details on program recipients, in a process the administration said could take months. The administration has said that information from most Republican-controlled states suggests fraud may be worse than previously believed, but has not provided the underlying data or detailed reports to support those statements.