A coalition of 21 states, including Hawaii, has initiated legal action against the Trump administration over proposed cuts to food aid benefits for legal immigrants. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Eugene, Oregon, seeks to challenge recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that would deem certain categories of non-citizens ineligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.
The states, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, argue that the USDA’s interpretation of a provision in the 2017 tax and domestic policy law unfairly targets permanent residents who have been granted asylum or admitted as refugees. According to the USDA, approximately 1% of SNAP recipients, or about 434,000, were refugees in fiscal year 2023, while 3%, or 1.3 million, were other non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents.
The legal challenge claims that the USDA has overstepped its authority by excluding entire groups from SNAP eligibility without justification. “USDA has no authority to arbitrarily cut entire groups of people out of the SNAP program, and no one should go hungry because of the circumstances of their arrival to this country,” James stated.
The USDA’s guidance, issued on October 31, listed refugees, asylees, and humanitarian parolees as permanently “not eligible” for SNAP benefits. The states argue that under federal law, these individuals become eligible for assistance once they adjust their immigration status to become lawful permanent residents.
The implications of this guidance are significant, as it forces the states to revise their eligibility systems rapidly to comply with the USDA’s directives, risking penalties for non-compliance. The lawsuit emphasizes that the law does not prohibit these groups from receiving benefits upon adjusting their status.
In addition to Hawaii, the lawsuit includes attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia.
The White House responded to the lawsuit through spokesperson Anna Kelly, who stated that President Trump “was elected with a resounding mandate to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government,” which includes ensuring that undocumented individuals do not receive benefits meant for U.S. citizens.
SNAP provides crucial monthly benefits to approximately 42 million low-income Americans, and its funding has faced challenges in the past. During the government shutdown that concluded on November 12, 2019, SNAP benefits lapsed for the first time in the program’s 60-year history, igniting legal battles led by various states seeking to ensure continued funding.
This lawsuit marks another chapter in ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policy and access to social services in the United States. As the case unfolds, it will be closely watched for its potential impact on food assistance programs and the immigrant communities reliant on them.
