New York Attorney General Letitia James today won a court order temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s attempts to claw back Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and punish states that release them. Attorney General James and 24 other attorneys general and governors filed an emergency motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) last night after the Trump administration sent states an alarming late-night memo directing them to “immediately undo” the release of SNAP benefits. In a Saturday night letter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ignored its own prior guidance and threatened that the release of full November benefits would be considered “unauthorized.” Several states, including New York, had already begun issuing these benefits in accordance with USDA’s Friday memo stating that the agency would soon release full funding.
“The Trump administration has been relentless in its effort to keep food off of Americans’ plates, but once again a court has stepped in to stop them,” said Attorney General James. “This order ensures that families can keep the food assistance they need and that states won’t be punished for doing their jobs. New Yorkers should not hesitate to use their rightful SNAP benefits as their cards are reloaded. If you have your benefits, use them. My office will deal with the federal government in court.”