Massachusetts Attorney General announces judge blocks Trump Administration from fining states who give SNAP benefits to immigrants

BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today released the following statement after a federal judge blocked the Trump Administration’s efforts to penalize states with millions of dollars in fines related to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations. 

“Faced with our lawsuit, the Trump Administration conceded that they can’t strip SNAP benefits away from immigrants who are lawful permanent residents and agreed to continue providing benefits to all who qualify,” said AG Campbell. “Today’s court ruling ensures Massachusetts can continue administering SNAP benefits to the children, elders, and people with disabilities who rely on them, without facing devastating financial penalties that threaten the continued operation of this critical program.” 

On November 26th, AG Campbell joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration after it attempted to cut off SNAP benefits for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents. On December 10th, the Administration reversed itself 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 fines, claiming that the required “grace period” for calculating state error rates had expired the day after the new guidance was issued, on November 1. 

Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon ordered a temporary block on those penalties. The court’s decision prohibits the federal government’s efforts to impose severe financial penalties on states based on a time period before any relevant guidance was issued and protects the continued operation of SNAP programs.