CHICAGO – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul won a court order blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to penalize states with millions of dollars in penalties related to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“The SNAP program is the country’s most important anti-hunger program, providing access to food for millions of families while supporting local grocers and merchants who are critical to our state’s economy,” Raoul said. “I’m pleased with the court’s action, which will ensure that SNAP programs in Illinois and across the country will be able to continue providing food assistance to those in need this holiday season.”
Attorney General Raoul, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, sued the Trump administration in November after it attempted to cut off SNAP benefits for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents. On Dec. 10, the administration reversed this action and issued new guidance, confirming that lawful permanent residents, including former refugees and asylees, remain eligible for SNAP benefits. Despite that reversal, the administration continued to threaten states with millions of dollars in penalties, claiming that states were not entitled to a required “grace period” enabling them to properly implement the new guidance, even though the final guidance was not issued until December 10.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued an order Monday temporarily blocking those penalties. The court’s decision prohibits the federal government’s efforts to impose severe financial penalties on states and protects the continued operation of SNAP programs while the case proceeds.
Joining Attorney General Raoul in filing the lawsuit were the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
