Decision made in Oregon-led case in U.S. District Court of Oregon

Attorney General Dan Rayfield today released the following statement after a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to penalize states with millions of dollars in fines related to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations:

“In Oregon and across the country, SNAP supports families to make ends meet throughout the year. The federal government’s threat to impose this – especially during the holiday season – created needless uncertainty for programs that help people put food on the table. Today’s ruling stops that disruption and allows Oregon to keep administering SNAP without fear of being punished for following the law.”

On November 26, Attorney General Rayfield and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general sued the Trump administration after it attempted to cut off SNAP benefits for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents. On December 10, the administration reversed itself and issued new guidance, confirming that lawful permanent residents – including former refugees and asylees – remain eligible for SNAP benefits.

Despite that reversal, the administration continued to threaten states with millions of dollars in fines, claiming that states had missed a required “grace period” for implementing the new guidance, even though the final guidance was not issued until December 10.

Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued an order temporarily blocking those penalties. The court’s decision prohibits the federal government’s efforts to impose severe financial penalties on states and protects the continued operation of SNAP programs while the case proceeds.