The City of New Haven one of 8 municipalities and 20 total plaintiffs in nationwide lawsuit.
[NEW HAVEN, CT] — Today, Mayor Justin Elicker applauded the federal court decision granting a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the Trump Administration’s unlawful effort to halt the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing government shutdown. The decision orders the Trump Administration to continue providing children, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and families with essential food assistance while the case proceeds.
The ruling in the case, Rhode Island State Council of Churches v. Rollins, is from the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island and comes a day after the City of New Haven in partnership with a nationwide coalition of local governments, charitable and faith-based nonprofit organizations, and business and union organizations filed suit against the Trump Administration’s decision to suspend the program and terminate work requirement waivers in areas with few jobs. The City of New Haven was one of the twenty plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which included eight municipalities and twelve other entities.
In response to the federal court decision, Mayor Elicker issued the following statement:
“No child or family in our city, state or country should go to bed hungry. The federal court’s decision affirms what every New Havener and American of good conscience knows to be true: the Trump Administration’s attempt to withhold SNAP benefits and food assistance from our most vulnerable residents is as illegal as it is immoral. I applaud the court’s decision and join with our fellow plaintiffs in urging the Trump Administration to abide by the judge’s ruling and immediately distribute funds to continue the SNAP program.
SNAP is a lifeline for over 30,000 New Haven residents and over 42 million Americans and it’s time to stop playing politics with hunger and people’s ability to put food on the table for themselves and their families. New Haveners can be proud that as a city we’re standing up for our residents and the result is having both a local and nationwide impact.”
The court found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claims that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acted without lawful authority in refusing to use available funds to sustain SNAP. It also found that the abrupt cancellation of long-standing work-requirement waivers in areas with persistent unemployment, which was done without notice, justification, or statutory authority, is unlawful.
The twenty plaintiffs include municipalities: City of Albuquerque, New Mexico; City of Baltimore, Maryland; City of Central Falls, Rhode Island; City of Columbus, Ohio; City of Durham, North Carolina; City of New Haven, Connecticut; City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island; City of Providence, Rhode Island; charitable and faith-based nonprofit organizations: Rhode Island State Council of Churches; Amos House; East Bay Community Action Program; Federal Hill House Association; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center; The Milagros Project; the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN); New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG); United Way of Rhode Island; business and union organizations: Main Street Alliance; Black Sheep Market in Greenville, South Carolina; and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The coalition of plaintiffs issued the following joint statement:
“Today’s ruling is a lifeline for millions of families, seniors, and veterans who depend on SNAP to put food on the table. It reaffirms a fundamental principle: no administration can use hunger as a political weapon. This victory is about more than one program—it’s about the American values of fairness, compassion, and accountability that hold our democracy together.
Our coalition represents communities on the frontlines of the hunger crisis. We came together because we refuse to accept a government that turns its back on people in need. We will keep fighting to ensure that federal programs serve their lawful purpose—to help, not harm people and communities.”
Democracy Forward and the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island are representing the plaintiffs.
The filing can be read here and the motion for the TRO can be read here.
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