25 States Suing Trump USDA for Gutting Food Aid to 40 Million Americans

October 31, 2025

Twenty-five state attorneys general and three governors have filed a federal lawsuit against the USDA and Secretary Brooke Rollins for suspending SNAP benefits, which provide food assistance to over 40 million Americans. The coalition argues the suspension is unlawful because Congress has already allocated $3 billion in contingency reserves specifically for emergencies like the current government shutdown, and the USDA has billions more in unused funds. Filed in Massachusetts federal court, the lawsuit contends this marks the first interruption of SNAP benefits since the program began in 1964, despite the agency continuing the program through all previous shutdowns.

Who is affected

More than 40 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits nationwide
141,000 District of Columbia residents (including 47,000 children and 24,000 elderly individuals)
Over 420 local retailers in D.C., including more than 320 small stores in food deserts
Food banks experiencing increased demand
Twenty-five state jurisdictions and three states with governors involved in the lawsuit
Local business communities dependent on SNAP-related revenue
Public health, education, and public safety systems facing downstream impacts

What action is being taken

Twenty-five attorneys general and three governors have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts against the USDA and Office of Management and Budget
Governors in several plaintiff states, including California and Minnesota, are deploying emergency funds to keep families fed
Food banks are bracing for surges in demand

Why it matters

This represents an unprecedented disruption to the nation's largest anti-hunger program, marking the first time SNAP benefits have been interrupted since 1964 despite the program continuing through all previous government shutdowns. The suspension threatens immediate catastrophic consequences including childhood hunger affecting learning, life-threatening health risks for seniors, closures of small businesses operating on thin margins in food deserts, and severe economic impacts on local communities. The lawsuit challenges what the coalition argues is an unlawful and arbitrary decision, given that billions in congressional contingency funds exist specifically for such emergencies, and the USDA has selectively funded other programs while denying food assistance to vulnerable populations.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article beyond the ongoing legal action and emergency state-level funding responses already being taken.

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint