Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut has filed for a temporary restraining order to prevent the Trump Administration from requiring states to reverse Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that have already been distributed. The move comes after ongoing legal disputes over SNAP payments during the recent government shutdown.
“Donald Trump wants us to take food off the plates of Connecticut families who finally just now got the chance to eat. Undo food stamps? Those funds were out the door on Saturday, and families were in the grocery stores all weekend. We’re fighting this one to the bitter end,” said Attorney General Tong. “Trump’s actions have been unconscionable, unlawful and erratic, and states like Connecticut had a moral imperative and legal right to act quickly to get funds out the door. Trump never had the authority to deny SNAP, and he doesn’t have the authority now to retaliate against states for doing our job.”
Connecticut, along with 26 other states, previously sued the Trump Administration in federal court in Massachusetts over what they argue was an illegal suspension of SNAP benefits for millions of Americans during a government shutdown. A separate lawsuit was also filed by non-profits and municipalities, including New Haven, in Rhode Island federal court. Both courts ruled against the administration, ordering that payments resume either partially or fully.
After these rulings, federal officials initially proposed complex formulas for partial benefit distribution before agreeing under further court pressure to pay full benefits. However, following an appeal and a temporary stay from the Supreme Court, guidance from Washington changed again. This left many families uncertain about their access to food assistance.
Based on available instructions at that time, Connecticut processed full November SNAP benefits for about 366,000 households—an average payment of $324 per family totaling $72 million—over the weekend. Later that same day, federal authorities issued new instructions telling states not to distribute full benefits and ordered those who had done so: “States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.” The memo also warned that failure to comply could lead to penalties such as withholding federal administrative funding or holding states liable for excess payments.
The emergency filing led by Attorney General Tong seeks a judicial order blocking these directives from being enforced.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Minnesota, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin joined Connecticut’s action. Governors from Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania are also supporting this effort.
