A federal judge has put a permanent stop to federal fines targeting Washington and other states over how they handle SNAP benefits.
The ruling also protects food assistance for certain lawful permanent residents.
The case started last year after the Trump administration moved to restrict SNAP benefits for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents. It also gave states a deadline to make changes, raising the possibility of hundreds of millions of dollars in fines.
The administration later reversed course on the eligibility restrictions. But it still argued that states could be fined for missing what it called a grace period.
The judge rejected that argument, saying the states could not be penalized under the deadline the federal government had imposed.
The ruling also makes clear that the usual five-year waiting period for SNAP does not apply to lawful permanent residents who previously were refugees, asylees or certain other humanitarian immigrants.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown was among the state attorneys general who challenged the federal rules.
“This case protects critical food benefits for people who are lawfully in this country,” Brown said. “The rule of law has once again held the administration’s overreach in check.”
The lawsuit was led by New York and Oregon and included Washington and 18 other states, as well as the District of Columbia.
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