Two federal courts have issued rulings that hold the Trump Administration responsible for unlawfully suspending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November. The decisions, delivered by district courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use contingency reserves to fund the benefits.
“Today, not one, but two federal district courts determined that the Trump Administration acted unlawfully when it chose to suspend SNAP benefits for the month of November. The Trump Administration knows that it has a legal duty to fund SNAP benefits, even during the current government shutdown. In fact, just last month, the USDA admitted as much in a document that it later deleted from its website,” said Attorney General Bonta. “SNAP benefits provide an essential hunger safety net to an average of 5.5 million Californians each month. Simply put, the stakes could not be higher. The Trump Administration must move expeditiously to fund November SNAP benefits.”
Earlier this week, Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a group of 23 attorneys general and three governors in a lawsuit against USDA and Secretary Brooke Rollins over the suspension of November SNAP benefits. They also sought a temporary restraining order, which was discussed at an in-person court hearing yesterday.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts subsequently ordered that USDA’s SNAP contingency reserve must be used to fund benefits and found that Bonta and his coalition are likely to succeed on their claim regarding the illegality of suspending SNAP funds.
In another related case brought by local governments, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and workers’ rights groups, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ordered USDA to allocate at least $5 billion in available contingency funds for November SNAP payments.
A copy of the Massachusetts court’s decision is available here.
