Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has joined 22 other attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeking to reverse the suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as SNAP.

On Oct. 10, the USDA sent a letter to state SNAP agencies saying that if the government shutdown continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for millions of individuals across the country.

The attorneys general argue that the program has been unlawfully suspended and said they were working Tuesday to file a motion for a temporary restraining order to restore SNAP benefits.

An average of 161,400 people in Hawaii receive SNAP benefits each month, including about 27,910 families and 62,647 children, according to the state.

From Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, the Hawaii Department of Human Services issued more than $57 million per month in SNAP benefits. Nationwide, the program helps more than 40 million Americans buy food.

While the federal government funds and sets monthly SNAP benefit amounts, states are responsible for administering the program locally.

Critics of the suspension of SNAP benefits say that despite the USDA’s claim of insufficient funds, the agency has access to billions of dollars in contingency funding appropriated by Congress in case of a government shutdown. They also note that USDA has used emergency funds to support other programs while refusing to fund SNAP.

“The unlawful suspension of SNAP benefits jeopardizes food security for thousands of Hawaii residents who rely on this lifeline every day,” Lopez said.

Critics also say suspending benefits will harm the hundreds of thousands of grocers and merchants nationwide who accept SNAP payments for food purchases.

Joining Lopez in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania also joined.