A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s attempt to impose new conditions on states receiving funds from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The decision came after 20 Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit challenging these conditions.

Details of the Injunction

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun granted the injunction, which temporarily halts the administration’s efforts to enforce a range of conditions related to ‘gender ideology,’ ‘immigration,’ and ‘fair athletic opportunities’ for women and girls. The judge is expected to provide a detailed memorandum explaining his decision at a later date.

The states involved in the lawsuit argued that the new conditions imposed by the Department of Agriculture were unconstitutional and created unlawful barriers between federal programs and the states that depend on them. They emphasized that these conditions threatened essential nutrition support, agricultural research, and the safety of the national food chain.

Government’s Position

In response, government lawyers argued that the new requirements were designed to ensure the responsible use of taxpayer dollars, enhance oversight of funds by the USDA, and guarantee compliance with federal laws and policies by grant recipients.

SNAP, a crucial part of the U.S. welfare programs, assists approximately 39 million Americans, or about 1 in 9 people, in purchasing groceries. The number of beneficiaries has decreased by nearly 4.3 million from January 2025 to January 2026, according to preliminary data from the Agriculture Department. Experts attribute this decline primarily to new requirements introduced by a tax and spending cut bill passed by Republicans last summer.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.