The states, which include California, New York and Pennsylvania, are asking a federal judge in Massachusetts to order the Department of Agriculture to provide benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for November, including by tapping into a contingency fund to ensure the assistance continues to flow to more than 25 million people living within their borders.
"Shutting off SNAP benefits will cause deterioration of public health and well-being," state officials wrote in their lawsuit. "Ultimately, the States will bear costs associated with many of these harms. The loss of SNAP benefits leads to food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition, which are associated with numerous negative health outcomes in children, such as poor concentration, decreased cognitive function, fatigue, depression, and behavioral problems."
Ester Pena shops at the Feeding South Florida food pantry in Pembroke Park, Florida, on Oct. 27, 2025. Joe Raedle / Getty ImagesAs the government shutdown continues to drag on, the Trump administration announced last week that federal food aid would not go out on Nov. 1 after the Department of Agriculture declined to tap into roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the food stamp program flowing.
"We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats," a spokesperson for the USDA said in response to the lawsuit. "Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments."
But a memo from the USDA issued last week said "contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits" and are instead meant for things like assisting people in disaster areas. The document cited Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded.
They noted that during the last shutdown, USDA said in guidance in January 2019 that said that "limited funding is available from the contingency that can be used to provide benefits for February."
The Trump administration has attempted to ramp up the pressure on Democrats to reopen the government, announcing cancellations of federal funding for programs in blue states and issuing layoff-notices to thousands of federal workers.
Ahead of the approaching halt to food stamp payments, some states have said they will work to keep the assistance going to beneficiaries. Roughly 1 in 8 Americans receive food stamps, and recipients receive, on average, a payment of $187 on prepaid cards that can be used to buy groceries.
Democrats have separately urged Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to use the agency's reserve funds to help cover food stamp benefits next month, though she has declined to do so.
Hence then, the article about 25 states sue trump administration over snap food stamp freeze during shutdown was published today ( ) and is available on CBS sacramento ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 25 states sue Trump administration over SNAP food stamp freeze during shutdown )
Also on site :