Overview
- U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai in Oregon granted a preliminary injunction extending the compliance window to April 9, 2026 and blocking penalties tied to missed implementation.
- A coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia sued over an Oct. 31 USDA memo they say wrongly excluded some lawful residents, including former refugees and asylees, from SNAP.
- USDA issued revised guidance in mid-December restoring eligibility for lawful permanent residents but insisted the 120-day grace period had already lapsed on Nov. 1.
- Kasubhai found USDA’s timing position unlawful and contrary to past practice, concluding that without an extension states faced irreparable budget harm.
- State officials warned of major fiscal exposure and potential program disruption, citing estimates such as up to $1.2 billion in fines for New York, while USDA declined to comment on the litigation.