PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Secretary Brooke Rollins, alleging the agency illegally suspended the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Mayes is co-leading a coalition of 21 other state attorneys general and three governors arguing that the Trump administration’s move violates federal law and threatens food security for more than 40 million Americans, including nearly 900,000 Arizonans.
The lawsuit claims that despite USDA’s assertion of insufficient funding, the agency has access to billions in SNAP contingency funds authorized by Congress precisely for emergencies like a shutdown. Plaintiffs argue that USDA has chosen to fund other programs while unlawfully withholding SNAP benefits, calling the decision “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The lapse in assistance, the lawsuit warns, could have far-reaching consequences — deepening hunger, straining food banks and local governments, and harming the thousands of grocers and retailers that depend on SNAP transactions. Economists estimate that every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity, meaning the suspension could also ripple through local economies.
In Arizona, roughly 12% of residents rely on SNAP, including 30,000 veterans and tens of thousands of children who receive about 40% of the state’s total benefits.
The coalition has also filed a temporary restraining order seeking to immediately reinstate the November payments while the lawsuit proceeds.
Mayes is joined by attorneys general from California, Colorado, New York, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and others, along with the governors of Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.
Copies of the complaint and the restraining order filing will be made available through the Arizona Attorney General’s Office website once released.
