Attorney General Ellison secures court order protecting SNAP benefits

December 15, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Ellison today released the following statement after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to penalize states with millions of dollars in fines related to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations:

"I never thought I would have to go to court to stop an American president from attacking food benefits for hungry families. However, when Donald Trump unlawfully tried to penalize us unless our state cut off food support for Minnesota residents, I had no choice but to take the president to court. Fortunately, a judge just blocked Trump’s unlawful actions for the time being. I’m pleased to have won this ruling, but I am deeply saddened at the spirit of cruelty in the White House that made all this necessary in the first place.”

On November 26, Attorney General Ellison joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration after it attempted to cut off SNAP benefits for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents. On December 10, the administration reversed itself and issued new guidance, confirming that lawful permanent residents – including former refugees and asylees – remain eligible for SNAP benefits. Despite that reversal, the administration continued to threaten states with millions of dollars in fines, claiming that states had missed a required “grace period” for implementing the new guidance, even though the final guidance was not issued until December 10.

Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued an order temporarily blocking those penalties. The court’s decision prohibits the federal government’s efforts to impose severe financial penalties on states and protects the continued operation of SNAP programs while the case proceeds.

Joining Attorney General Ellison in this lawsuit, which was led by the attorneys general of New York and Oregon, are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.