Legal Battle Ensues Over Trump Administration's SNAP Benefits Cuts for Legal Immigrants
A coalition of Democratic-led states has taken legal action to prevent the Trump administration from terminating food aid benefits for thousands of legal immigrants. The lawsuit challenges the U.S. Department of Agriculture's interpretation of a provision in Trump's tax and domestic policy law that excludes certain groups of non-citizens from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Attorneys general from 21 states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit in federal court, arguing that the USDA does not have the authority to exclude entire groups of people from the SNAP program. The lawsuit contends that the recent guidance from the USDA wrongly deems permanent residents who were granted asylum or admitted as refugees as ineligible for SNAP benefits.
SNAP provides assistance to 42 million low-income Americans, and the benefits lapsed for the first time during the government shutdown in November. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by Trump, imposed work requirements and limited benefits to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, aligning with the administration's immigration policies.
The state attorneys general assert that the federal law allows refugees, individuals granted asylum, and humanitarian parolees to become eligible for SNAP once they obtain green cards. However, the USDA's guidance incorrectly categorizes these groups as permanently ineligible, creating confusion and requiring states to quickly adjust their eligibility systems to comply.
The lawsuit aims to challenge the USDA's directives and ensure that eligible individuals, including refugees and asylees, can access SNAP benefits as intended by the law. The legal battle underscores the importance of upholding food assistance programs for vulnerable populations and preventing hunger due to immigration status.