(The Center Square) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a multi-state lawsuit looking to protect taxpayer-funded food benefits for “lawful permanent residents.”
The benefits, which are a part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are in jeopardy following the release of new guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The states argue those guidelines are illegal and “incorrectly” designates several groups of legal immigrants as ineligible for food assistance.
“The law is clear on who can receive SNAP benefits, yet the Trump Administration is trying to strip rightful recipients of the support they need to feed their families,” Nessel said. “It is my hope that the court puts an end to this unlawful guidance and stops the White House’s ongoing chaos and confusion over Americans’ ability to put food on the table.”
This comes after months of uncertainty around programs like SNAP that largely stemmed from the federal government shutdown.
Additionally, the Trump administration has also been taking numerous steps to cut down on waste, fraud, and over-spending on taxpayer-funded programs like SNAP. This new guidance is a part of that initiative.
Under the new guidelines, refugees, asylum seekers, humanitarian parolees, individuals whose deportation has been withheld, and other legal permanent residents would not be eligible for SNAP benefits even after receiving green cards. States that do not implement it face financial penalties or additional costs if they decide to fund SNAP benefits for those individuals themselves.
The lawsuit, which names the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins as defendants, was filed in the Eugene division of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
The states argue the USDA’s new guidance in not in line with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, stating that permanent legal residents can not be declared permanently ineligible for SNAP benefits under federal law.
“The guidance in reality goes beyond the Act, arbitrarily excluding from SNAP many lawful permanent residents who remain eligible under the statutory scheme established by Congress,” the lawsuit states.
It also alleges that the USDA violated its own regulations by allowing only one day, instead of 120 days, for states to adjust to the new guidance.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who leads the department which administers the program, recently discussed the ongoing changes to programs like SNAP.
“At POTUS’ direction we will be reviewing ALL USDA programs to ensure only legal citizens are receiving benefits,” Rollins said on social media. “Thank you, President Trump, for putting Americans first!”
Rollins also called out the 22 states, including Michigan, who have refused to turn over SNAP recipient data to the federal government.
“Earlier this year, USDA put states on notice reminding them illegal immigrants and certain non-citizens CAN NOT receive SNAP benefits,” she explained. “Even though 22 blue states have refused to provide the data, we are using every tool to compel their compliance.”
A news release from Nessel’s office said the ongoing changes are causing uncertainty for many families.
“States have already begun implementing the statutory changes enacted earlier this year, but USDA’s abrupt and incorrect guidance now forces them to overhaul eligibility systems overnight,” it said. “The attorneys general warn that this will create widespread confusion for families, increase the risk of wrongful benefit terminations, erode public trust, and place states in an untenable situation where they must either violate federal law or accept severe financial liability.”
Nationally, approximately 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits. Currently, nearly 13% of Michigan households, or approximately 1.4 million people, do. Of those, 43% are families with children and 36% are families with older or disabled adults.
At the time of publication, Nessel’s office had not yet responded to an email requesting data on how many Michiganders might be affected by the new guidelines addressed in the lawsuit, though it alleges “tens of thousands” nationwide.
Michigan was joined on the lawsuit by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The lawsuit requests that the court block the USDA’s new guidelines from going into effect.
This is just one of dozens of lawsuits Nessel has filed or joined against the Trump administration since January, including a number regarding SNAP benefits.
