Amid much confusion from court rulings and directives from the Trump Administration, New York state on Sunday started to issue full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for New Yorkers for November.
Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday directed state agencies to issue full federal SNAP benefits for the month.
“Let me be clear, President Trump is hellbent on preventing millions of Americans from putting food on the table," Hochul said in a statement. "He’s made decision after decision to withhold funding that feeds families, seniors and children — and continues doubling down on this cruelty by challenging the courts’ clear orders. It's senseless and un-American and I'm working tirelessly to bring this uncertainty to an end for the nearly three million New Yorkers who rely on this program.”
The governor's decision came at the same time when two lower courts ruled last week that the federal government must keep full food aid payments going. Subsequently, however, the Supreme Court on Friday also said state governments won't have to pay the full aid amount until it makes another decision on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
To add to the confusion, New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday said she won a court order temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s attempts to claw back SNAP benefits.
James and 24 other attorneys general and governors filed an emergency motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on Sunday night after the Trump administration sent states a late-night memo directing them to “immediately undo” the release of SNAP benefits. In a Saturday night letter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ignored its own prior guidance and threatened that the release of full November benefits would be considered “unauthorized," according to James.
James urged New Yorkers who see SNAP aid on their cards to use them.
“The Trump administration has been relentless in its effort to keep food off of Americans’ plates, but once again a court has stepped in to stop them,” James said in a statement. “This order ensures that families can keep the food assistance they need and that states won’t be punished for doing their jobs. New Yorkers should not hesitate to use their rightful SNAP benefits as their cards are reloaded. If you have your benefits, use them. My office will deal with the federal government in court.”
About 3 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP benefits, of which about 1.8 million are New York City residents.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
