Ellison sues USDA over threats to cut off Minnesota’s SNAP funding unless it complies with ‘impossible demands’

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Tuesday announced he has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over its demand that the state interview over 100,000 households in person to verify that they are eligible for SNAP benefits.

In a letter sent on Dec. 16, USDA gave the state 30 days to interview nearly 200,000 people in order to “recertify” their eligibility, the AG’s office said.

The Department threatened to cut off the state’s SNAP funding and disqualify it from SNAP if it didn’t comply with the demands, according to the AG’s office.

“Even attempting to complete this mammoth process in the timeframe provided would cause harm to county residents who need assistance with other programs or service — and pull resources from fraud-investigation programs that are better suited to protect the integrity of SNAP,” the AG’s office stated in a news release, adding that SNAP households are recertified regularly. 

The lawsuit argues that the USDA’s demand violates “several aspects of federal law,” including both the Food and Nutrition Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.

“It’s bad enough that the USDA has no lawful authority to impose these impossible demands on Minnesota,” Ellison said. “But once again, the Trump Administration is threatening to let the needy go hungry. Donald Trump is doing whatever he can to keep vulnerable people hungry and scheming new ways to punish the states that want to keep them fed.” 

Ellison also sued USDA for suspending SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.

Read the full lawsuit below:

USDA_SNAP-Recertification_ComplaintDownload
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