Gothamist: A federal judge says the Trump administration can’t revoke the federal food assistance benefits that states began issuing in full this weekend.
New York and New Jersey resumed food stamps payments after a nearly week-long delay. At the same time, the Trump administration told states in a memo that full payments were “unauthorized” and to “immediately undo” them. The memo contradicted the USDA’s own guidance issued the day before, which said to pay the benefits in full. Instead, the Trump administration’s memo directed states to issue partial payments, reduced by 35%.
New Jersey said it had distributed SNAP payments to all recipients on Friday, as all beneficiaries receive their monthly allotments during the first week of the month. New York is continuing to issue payments that began Sunday.
The court ruling is the latest in a confusing cascade of orders, appeals and conflicting guidance as the Trump administration tries to stop fully funding SNAP during the government shutdown, which could end as soon as this week. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program helps 3 million New York state residents and 800,000 New Jerseyans afford their groceries.
“It is shocking and disgusting,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said at a press conference Monday alongside the coalition of states suing the Trump administration over its refusal to fund SNAP during the government shutdown.
“It is all the more galling when you consider that the federal government may reopen soon. What was the point of the federal government’s cruelty this weekend? Why subject people to prolonged anxiety and fear, it is not an abstraction real people are hurting, they are hungry.”
A Massachusetts judge on Monday blocked the USDA, which oversees SNAP, from reversing any funding or punishing states that had already distributed payments.
“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,” James said in a statement.
She said some stores were refusing to accept SNAP payments. Last week James’ office sent cease-and-desist letters to ShopRite and Hannaford following reports the grocery stores blocked people from using their EBT cards.
“Chaos at the federal level doesn’t change your responsibility to your customers,” James said.
Earlier Monday, an appeals court also ordered full SNAP payments be paid in November and the Trump administration said it would take the matter back to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“This is a rolling disaster,” said Robert Cordero, executive director of Grand Street Settlement, a social services organization. He said their food pantries saw a 25% increase in the last week, after SNAP payments were paused on Nov. 1.
“It’s been a burden and a lot of whiplash, every few hours there’s a new appeal or a ruling or a stay.”
