Attorney General Jay Jones has joined a multistate lawsuit challenging new USDA guidance that would deem legal permanent residents—including refugees and asylum seekers who later obtained green cards—permanently ineligible for SNAP benefits.
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The dispute stems from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act, passed by Congress in July, which amended several SNAP eligibility provisions. After the law’s passage, the USDA issued guidance barring many lawful permanent residents from SNAP and excluding refugees and asylees with permanent legal status from the program, despite their long‑standing eligibility.
In November, 21 states and the District of Columbia filed suit, arguing the guidance—not the statute itself—oversteps federal authority. They contend the policy contradicts SNAP law, which explicitly allows lawful permanent residents to receive benefits, and unlawfully rewrites eligibility rules Congress did not change.
The states are asking the court to block the USDA from implementing the guidance.
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A federal court issued an injunction in December 2025, calling the administration’s action “ill‑considered and illegal” and reaffirming that lawful permanent residents remain entitled to SNAP if they meet standard requirements.
In a statement, Jones said, legal permanent residents have already completed the process to lawfully live and work in the US and are entitled to access the program.
“My office is proud to join this lawsuit and defend the ability of legal permanent residents, including children, refugees, and immigrants granted asylum, access to the food they need to survive,” Jones said.
“Denying them access is not only illegal, but it will stretch the already thin pocketbooks of Virginians trying to feed their families. My office will use all legal tools available to defend Virginians against these inhumane actions.”
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