NC AG sues Trump administration for withholding SNAP benefits

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is suing the federal government for withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in food assistance benefits as the government shutdown continues.

The lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture accuses the federal government of purposely keeping $230 million in food assistance dollars that would go toward feeding 1.4 million North Carolina residents.

According to Jackson, 600,000 children in the North Carolina, more than 40,000 of whom are under 18 months old, will be affected if that money isn’t handed over to the state. He also said the department could be using a reserve fund meant to keep the food rolling out, but they’re not touching that money.

“Nearly 600,000 children in our state could be without food in a few days because USDA is playing an illegal game of shutdown politics,” Jackson said in a statement. “They have emergency money to help feed children during this shutdown, and they’re refusing to spend it. I warned them last week that I would take them to court if they tried to hurt our kids. Today, that’s what we’re doing.”

Jackson is asking the court for immediate action so the funds can be dispersed as soon as possible and put food on the table for families.

Gov. Josh Stein also released a statement demanding the federal government to reverse course quickly.

“The federal government is denying access to food for more than 1.4 million North Carolinians, including children, veterans, and people with disabilities,” Stein said in a statement. “The USDA must take immediate action to keep families from going hungry as it is required to do by law. I thank Attorney General Jackson for standing up to secure these critical resources.”

In central North Carolina, according to Jackson, more than 80,000 Wake County residents and 67,000 Cumberland County residents will lose SNAP benefits. The loss of SNAP benefits will also affect 30.2% of Edgecombe County residents and 27.8% of Halifax County residents.

Wake and Cumberland are among the top five North Carolina counties receiving SNAP funding at $14.4 million and $12.2 million, respectively, according to Jackson.

According to Jackson, more than one in four residents receive SNAP funding in Edgecombe, Halifax, Northampton, and Vance counties.

For a list of food benefits that will be available in the Triangle after North Carolina loses access to SNAP funding, click here.

Jackson is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania also joined.

The full lawsuit can be viewed below.