25 states sue Trump administration over SNAP suspension during shutdown: 'This is cruelty'

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS:  Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, October 28, against the Trump administration over its decision to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid the shutdown, warning that millions of Americans could soon lose access to food aid.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Massachusetts, seeks an emergency order requiring the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use contingency funds to continue distributing November's benefits.

The states, including California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, argue that cutting off food stamps to approximately 42 million Americans violates federal law and poses a threat to public health.

USDA blames Democrats and says ‘well has run dry’

“Shutting off SNAP benefits will cause deterioration of public health and well-being,” the complaint from the 25 states said.

“The loss of SNAP benefits leads to food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition, which are associated with numerous negative health outcomes in children, such as poor concentration, decreased cognitive function, fatigue, depression, and behavioral problems,” the complaint added. 

The Trump administration announced last week that SNAP payments would not be issued starting from November 1, citing a lack of congressional funding.

The USDA said it could not legally use its roughly $5 billion in contingency reserves to continue benefits, arguing that those funds were designated for emergencies like natural disasters.

“The well has run dry,” the department said in a notice posted online, blaming Democrats for blocking a stopgap funding bill passed by the House.

The memo also cited Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, as an example of how contingency funds must be reserved for disaster response.

But state officials countered that the agency’s position marks a sharp departure from past practice.

During the 2019 shutdown, the USDA used contingency funds to issue February benefits, they said, adding that nothing in federal law prevents it from doing the same now.

Letitia James says millions could go hungry

“Millions of Americans are about to go hungry because the federal government has chosen to withhold food assistance it is legally obligated to provide,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the coalition of Democratic governors and attorneys general. 

“SNAP is one of our nation’s most effective tools to fight hunger, and the USDA has the money to keep it running,” she added.

The lawsuit contends that the USDA’s refusal to disburse benefits constitutes a "dramatic" policy shift and unlawfully abandons families that depend on food stamps to survive.

The ongoing shutdown, now in its 28th day, has already disrupted federal operations and triggered furloughs for thousands of government workers.

Roughly one in eight Americans relied on SNAP, receiving a reported average of $187 per month in grocery benefits.