New Delhi, Nov. 10 -- The Trump administration issued a memo telling states to "immediately undo" any action taken to fully fund November food-aid benefits, adding further uncertainty around the program that provides support to 42 million low-income Americans.

Amid the ongoing government shutdown, the US Agriculture Department issued the directive in a Saturday memo and said that states that didn't "comply" could face financial penalties.

In the Saturday directive, obtained by CNN, the USDA told states to instead proceed with issuing partial benefits - which will provide 65% of the maximum allotments for November - as ordered by the same lower court judge earlier in the week. (Many recipients will receive less than 65% of their usual as...