Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut has joined 21 other state attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging new federal guidance that would restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for certain lawful permanent residents. The lawsuit seeks to block recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidance that reinterprets eligibility rules for legal immigrants, including those who were granted asylum or admitted as refugees.
According to the coalition, the USDA’s new memo treats individuals who entered the United States through humanitarian programs as permanently ineligible for SNAP, even after they have become lawful permanent residents. The attorneys general argue this position is not supported by the “One Big Beautiful Bill” or any other federal law. They assert that existing statutes allow refugees, asylees, and others under humanitarian protection to qualify for SNAP once they receive green cards and meet program requirements.
Attorney General Tong stated: “The Trump Administration cannot help themselves. They are messing with SNAP benefits again. This time they are inventing their own rules to permanently ban legal immigrants—green card holders—from ever receiving food stamps. There is zero basis in the law for this cruel move, and we’re suing to stop them.”
The coalition also claims that USDA’s interpretation misapplies its own regulations regarding how states should implement changes following new guidance. Federal rules provide a 120-day grace period for states to adjust their systems before facing financial penalties, but USDA asserted this period expired just one day after issuing its memo—leaving states no time to respond. The attorneys general argue this approach exposes states to significant financial risk due to errors stemming from the agency’s late and inaccurate directive.
States had already begun updating their systems based on earlier statutory changes when the USDA issued its abrupt guidance. The attorneys general warn that these sudden changes could cause confusion among families relying on food assistance, increase wrongful benefit terminations, undermine public trust, and force states into difficult legal and financial positions.
The lawsuit was led by New York and Oregon and includes participation from California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
