New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has joined a coalition of 25 states in suing the Trump Administration for what they call an “illegal and inhumane” suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Secretary Brooke Rollins, accuses the administration of unlawfully halting funding for SNAP, a program that helps more than 40 million Americans afford food, despite having contingency funds available.
Governor Phil Murphy condemned the decision, calling it “an affront to the more than 800,000 New Jerseyans who depend on these critical benefits to access nutritious food.”
“New Jersey families are being used as political pawns by the Trump Administration,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This is especially devastating in November, when families are gathering and demands on food banks are heaviest. We are standing up for families across our state and fighting to ensure that they continue to have access to food for their households.”
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides monthly benefits to low-income households to help purchase groceries and is only funded through October 31, while WIC is funded through November 10. Nearly 165,000 women and children statewide depend on WIC supplements.
The shutdown began October 1 after Congress failed to pass a federal budget for the new fiscal year. On October 10, the USDA warned states that November SNAP benefits might not be paid if the shutdown continued, and later confirmed on October 24 that it would suspend all November allotments nationwide.
According to the complaint, the USDA’s position directly contradicts congressional authority and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. The coalition argues that Congress provided the USDA with billions in SNAP contingency funds precisely to prevent such disruptions during shutdowns, yet the agency has chosen not to use them.
The attorneys general are seeking an immediate court order to restore benefits.
Suspending SNAP, advocates say, will have severe economic and humanitarian consequences. In addition to leaving millions of families without food assistance, it would strain local governments, schools, and food pantries, and harm thousands of grocers and retailers who accept SNAP payments. The USDA itself has previously estimated that every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity.
In New Jersey alone, more than 812,000 residents, including 340,000 children and 176,000 seniors, rely on NJ SNAP, which is administered by the state but funded federally. Nearly 5,700 retailers across the state accept SNAP payments.
Joining Platkin in the multistate lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania have also joined the effort.