ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO) – The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota has granted a preliminary injunction protecting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the almost half a million Minnesotans who rely on the program.
The preliminary injunction blocks the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) December 16 demand that, within 30 days, Minnesota interview in person roughly 100,000 households that receive SNAP benefits to verify their eligibility for the program.
On December 23, Attorney General Ellison filed a lawsuit against USDA challenging the demand. Ellison says the Trump Administration had threatened to cut off Minnesota’s SNAP administrative funding and disqualify it from SNAP altogether unless Minnesota complied with the USDA, which under federal law it is prohibited from making.
“Before any of us in the state are Republicans or Democrats, we are Minnesotans, and it should shock and disgust us that this president is trying to take food off the table of half a million of our neighbors,” said Attorney General Ellison. “I’m pleased to have stopped this from happening, and I will continue to do everything in my power to stand up to the Trump administration when they try to harm the people of Minnesota.”
In Minnesota, roughly 440,000 people receive SNAP benefits each month, including approximately 180,000 children, 70,000 seniors, and 50,000 adults with disabilities.
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