PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said she’s pleased that two federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration must continue funding the nation’s largest food assistance program.
“This is really good news,” Mayes told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “Two federal judges have ruled now that Donald Trump and his administration violated the law by trying to deny more than 40 million Americans their SNAP benefits in November.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) starting Nov. 1, citing an inability to maintain funding during the government shutdown.
The program serves roughly one in eight Americans and is a cornerstone of the country’s social safety net, costing about $8 billion per month.
“We are hopeful that the Trump administration will comply with these orders, and that we will be able to get SNAP going again quickly,” Mayes said.
Kris Mayes happy about progress made in SNAP benefits lawsuit
It’s a major step forward in the multistate SNAP benefits lawsuit that Mayes had Arizona join to stop the Trump administration from cutting off the benefits during the government shutdown, which is about to head into its second month.
“Donald Trump is cutting off food assistance for nearly 900,000 Arizonans as we head into the month of Thanksgiving,” @AZAGMayes said.
Arizona is joining a multistate lawsuit hoping to stop the Trump administration from cutting off SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. pic.twitter.com/jPYt6VXupU
— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) October 28, 2025
“We know that there are 900,000 Arizonans who rely on SNAP for their food, for food on their tables,” Mayes said. “We needed to win this lawsuit and we need to see it all the way through and make sure that the Trump administration complies with it and get SNAP going again.”
This doesn’t mean SNAP benefits lawsuit is resolved, she says
However, she’s trying not to count her chickens before they hatch.
“It’s possible the Trump administration will appeal this decision by two federal judges,” Mayes said. “They may seek a stay. … If that stay were to be approved by a judge, then the money wouldn’t flow and the SNAP benefits wouldn’t flow.”
Even in a best-case scenario, Americans might go hungry, she added.
“If the SNAP benefits are turned back on immediately on Monday, we still have the weekend that we’re going to go through where people will not have access to SNAP,” she explained. “Then, it could take a few weeks even after that to get the bureaucracy around this program back up and running.”
If you are dealing with food insecurity or want to help those who are, the Arizona Food Bank Network website has a list of available resources, including a database of food banks, pantries and soup kitchens that serve people in need and accept donations. Additionally, donations can be made by texting “FOOD” to 620620.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Balin Overstolz McNair contributed to this report.
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