On Wednesday, a group of 21 Democratic attorneys general led by Letitia James of New York sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture for what they claimed were illegal instructions to forever cut off food stamps for refugees and asylum seekers who had green cards or lawful permanent residency, among others.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon, argues that the guidance goes beyond the scope of President Trump’s domestic policy bill that initiated a series of changes to social services spending. The bill prohibits some immigrant groups from receiving food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, only until they gain legal residency, the lawsuit argues.
“The federal government’s shameful quest to take food away from children and families continues,” Ms. James said in a statement. “U.S.D.A. has no authority to arbitrarily cut entire groups of people out of the SNAP program, and no one should go hungry because of the circumstances of their arrival to this country. “
Under the new guidance, issued in an Oct. 31 memo, as many as 35,000 New Yorkers could lose benefits, according to the attorney general’s office. The memo also said there would be stiff penalties for states that do not immediately comply. New York, according to Ms. James, could face up to $1.2 billion in fines.
The White House and the Department of Agriculture did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment.
Sarah Maslin Nir is a Times reporter covering anything and everything New York … and sometimes beyond.
The post New York Sues Over Rule Barring Thousands of Immigrants From SNAP appeared first on New York Times.
