St. Paul, Minnesota - Efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to withhold $80 million in funding for Minnesota's food stamp program have been blocked by a federal judge.

District Judge Laura Provinzino ruled in a hearing in St. Paul on Wednesday that the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) decision to give Minnesota only until January 15 to review its food stamp program was likely illegal.

The USDA had in mid-December given the state 30 days to complete a comprehensive review of the approximately 100,000 households receiving Supplementary Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) support.

If Minnesota failed to complete the review in time, the USDA threatened to withhold $80 million, approximately half of the program's budget.

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In response to the USDA's demand, which was touted as an attempt to root out supposedly fraudulent SNAP recipients, Minnesota sued the administration, alleging that the Trump administration had asked the state government to break the law.

Under federal law, states are not permitted to conduct more than one review of a SNAP recipient's eligibility per year.

Provinzino upheld this argument on Wednesday, stating that not only had the USDA made an unlawful request, but had also failed to properly explain why the review was necessary in the first place.

"USDA is asking the state to violate federal law, regulations, and the state's own operational plan," the ruling read.

As a result, funding for SNAP will continue at least while the lawsuit progresses.

In response, senior White House advisor Stephen Miller attacked the judiciary, declaring that Provinzino's ruling was an example of "more judicial tyranny."

"Minnesota has refused to provide the federal government with the names, social security numbers or identifying information of food stamps recipients – they just send a monthly bill," he wrote.