New Jersey joins multistate lawsuit against USDA over suspension of SNAP funding during shutdown
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Tuesday that the state has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Secretary, Brooke Rollins, for suspending funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The lawsuit alleges that the USDA’s suspension of benefits violates federal law and will harm millions of Americans who rely on SNAP for access to food.
“The Trump Administration’s failure to fund SNAP during the federal government shutdown is an affront to the more than 800,000 New Jerseyans who depend on these critical benefits to access nutritious food,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “I thank Attorney General Matt Platkin for taking action to hold the federal government accountable for their betrayal of America’s most vulnerable working- and middle-class families.”
“New Jersey families are being used as political pawns by the Trump Administration, which is illegally suspending SNAP and the critical assistance it provides to residents who are struggling with food insecurity,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This is especially devastating in the month of November, when families are gathering and demands on food banks and pantries are heaviest. We are standing up for families across our state and fighting to ensure that they continue to have access to food for their households.”
The shutdown began on October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass a federal spending bill. In a letter sent on October 10, the USDA notified state agencies that if the shutdown persisted, it would lack sufficient funds to issue November SNAP benefits. The agency later confirmed it would suspend all November 2025 allotments effective November 1.
According to the coalition, the USDA has access to billions of dollars in SNAP contingency funds specifically appropriated by Congress for emergencies such as this. The lawsuit argues that the USDA’s failure to use those funds is “contrary to law” and “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The complaint also notes that while the USDA has directed emergency funding to other programs during the shutdown, it has refused to fund SNAP, potentially leaving more than 40 million Americans — including children, seniors, and working families — without food assistance.
In New Jersey, as of August 2025, approximately 813,000 people received SNAP benefits across 436,000 households, including 340,000 children and 176,000 seniors. Nearly 5,700 retailers in the state are authorized to accept SNAP payments.
Officials warned that a lapse in benefits could have broad consequences, increasing strain on food pantries, local governments, and schools, while also impacting grocers and retailers that accept SNAP. The USDA estimates that each $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity.
The coalition plans to file a temporary restraining order seeking to restore SNAP benefits immediately.
Joining New Jersey in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, along with the governors of Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.
