Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin of New Jersey, along with 22 other attorneys general and three governors, has taken legal action against the Trump Administration over the suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The coalition filed an amended motion for a temporary restraining order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to prevent federal authorities from retracting full SNAP benefits that had been authorized following a court order in Rhode Island and guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The court granted the temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing for later in the day.
“We will not stand by as the Trump Administration attempts to rip food away from the tables of New Jerseyans on SNAP benefits,” said Attorney General Platkin. “New Jersey SNAP recipients have access to their full November 2025 benefits, and we are fighting to ensure that they remain able to feed their families. We are grateful that the Court has already blocked the Trump Administration’s reckless and illegal attempts to revoke SNAP funds and look forward to making our case in court to permanently stop them from harming families in New Jersey.”
On November 7, after a federal court in Rhode Island ordered USDA to make full SNAP benefits available, USDA notified states it would comply with this directive and begin processing full benefit payments. As a result, states including New Jersey authorized distribution of these benefits.
However, after successfully seeking an emergency stay on the lower court’s order, USDA directed states to reverse their actions regarding full SNAP benefit administration. The federal government warned that failure to comply could result in penalties or financial liability for states that processed full benefits. This directive was issued late at night after many residents had already used their newly released benefits.
The amended motion was joined by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Minnesota, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin; as well as governors from Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
