DETROIT – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and 22 other state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), demanding the agency use $6 billion in reserve funds to keep Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits flowing during a federal shutdown.
The suit alleges the USDA is unlawfully withholding money Congress set aside to maintain the program.
“These cuts force our family, friends, and neighbors to prioritize between necessities they wouldn’t otherwise have to choose between,” Nessel said. “Next week, people will be forced to decide between buying groceries or filling prescriptions, or between going into work as scheduled or calling off so that they can come visit a local food bank.”
The potential pause in SNAP benefits has left many Metro Detroit residents anxious, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and families who rely on monthly assistance to stretch tight budgets.
Local interviews with benefit recipients and nonprofit volunteers paint a picture of growing concern and uncertainty.
Elizabeth Courville, a Plymouth resident, said she was “absolutely disgraceful” about the situation and described it as a political game with ordinary people caught in the middle.
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, it’s my opinion that this is a political game, and we are the pawns,” Courville said.
For many, the pause in SNAP could mean impossible choices. Lorie Cox of Detroit said she has only $8.50 left on her bridge card and receives $99 per month in benefits.
When asked what she would do next month, Cox answered plainly, “No, I have no idea.”
Local organizations are preparing to fill gaps as best they can. Volunteers with the nonprofit We Are One Community Unity said they’ve seen a sharp rise in demand.
“We’ve tripled in the number of people we’ve been feeding. And we’re seeing a whole lot of new faces. A whole lot of new kids, older people, elderly people. But I can only imagine what’s going to happen after the benefits are gone,” said Jerry Boykin of the group.
Free meal programs and food pantries are already acting as a buffer, but leaders worry those resources will be stretched thin if SNAP benefits are interrupted.
Linda Johnson, a disabled Detroit resident who receives SNAP, said family members will help her navigate November’s uncertainty but had a message for lawmakers.
“If you really care, anything, which I think a lot of them don’t, but if you care, you would do something about it. You really would.”
The lawsuit by Nessel and the other attorneys general seeks to compel the USDA to tap the reserve funds Congress authorized to prevent disruptions in SNAP during a shutdown.
If successful, it could restore benefits for thousands of households that depend on monthly assistance.
Until then, residents and community organizations across Metro Detroit are bracing for a difficult month.