- A group of 21 Democratic AGs obtained a court order temporarily blocking the federal government from imposing financial penalties on states related to their administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- The AGs had filed suit to challenge guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that declared certain categories of legal immigrants ineligible for SNAP benefits. USDA later reversed course and issued new guidance confirming that lawful permanent residents remain eligible for SNAP benefits, but continued to warn states that they could face fines for failing to meet the grace period for implementation.
- The court order temporarily blocks those penalties, preventing the federal government from imposing financial sanctions on states and allowing SNAP programs to continue operating while the litigation proceeds.
- We have previously reported on AGs’ efforts to protect SNAP funding during the 2025 federal government shutdown and earlier litigation challenging USDA efforts to withhold benefits from states that declined to disclose SNAP recipient data.