New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a multistate lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from implementing new federal guidance that could strip thousands of green card holders of food assistance benefits.
James, leading a coalition of 22 states including New Jersey, argues that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has overstepped its legal authority by directing states to remove lawful permanent residents—previously admitted as refugees or asylees—from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
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“The federal government’s shameful quest to take food away from children and families continues,” James said in a statement. “USDA has no authority to arbitrarily cut entire groups of people out of the SNAP program, and no one should go hungry because of the circumstances of their arrival to this country.”
The USDA has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Disputed Federal Guidance
On October 31, the USDA issued instructions to states on how to implement a new federal tax-and-spending law enacted by the Trump administration this summer. The measure blocks refugees and asylees from receiving SNAP benefits. However, James says the new guidance goes even further—ordering states to cut SNAP assistance for individuals who later obtained green cards after entering the U.S. as refugees or asylees.
A USDA eligibility memo lists refugees, humanitarian parolees, and individuals granted asylum as “not eligible,” but does not clarify their status once they become permanent residents.
James estimates that 35,000 green card holders in New York alone could lose their benefits. She warned that states risk severe penalties—including more than $1.2 billion for New York—if they fail to comply.
Impact on New Yorkers
About 3 million New Yorkers, including 1.8 million in New York City, rely on SNAP to afford basic groceries. Many recipients are still recovering from nearly two weeks of interrupted benefits during the recent federal government shutdown. Multiple states sued the Trump administration to force payments to resume.
Housing and food security advocates say stripping benefits from long-settled immigrant families will deepen hunger in communities already struggling with high costs of living.
James’ office said the coalition asked USDA last week to revise its guidance, but the agency has not responded—prompting the lawsuit.
