New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, along with a coalition of 23 Attorneys General and three Governors, has secured a court order requiring the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funds during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts ruled that if these contingency funds are not enough to cover SNAP benefits in November, the federal government must seek other funding sources.
Attorney General Platkin stated, “From the beginning, we have said that the Trump Administration’s attempt to cut over 800,000 New Jerseyans from SNAP benefits that keep food on the table for them was blatantly illegal, and today the court agreed with us. While this fight is not yet over, this is a critical development in our fight to prevent New Jersey families from being harmed by the Trump Administration’s political games. We intend to ensure that this order is complied with and that our residents are no longer at risk of their benefits being cut off.”
The legal action followed the Trump Administration’s decision to suspend SNAP benefits in ways described as contrary to law and arbitrary under the Administrative Procedure Act. The recent court decision clarified that USDA cannot refuse to use available contingency funds for SNAP and must consider additional resources if needed. The federal government is required to inform the court by November 3 whether it will utilize other funding sources beyond SNAP contingency funds to ensure continued support for approximately 42 million Americans who rely on these benefits. A separate federal court in Rhode Island reached a similar conclusion regarding USDA’s responsibility.
Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in response to the suspension of SNAP benefits by the federal government. Executive Order 402 directs coordinated efforts across state agencies, led by New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management within the Division of State Police and Department of Law and Public Safety, to address potential disruptions or delays in benefit distribution.
Additionally, Attorney General Platkin will serve on Governor Murphy’s newly established interagency Task Force on the Federal Suspension of SNAP Benefits under Executive Order 401. This group will coordinate New Jersey’s response to increased food insecurity resulting from delays or gaps in SNAP funding.
