Eugene, Oregon - Attorney generals from a number of Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration on Wednesday over attempts to eliminate food aid benefits for some immigrants.

The lawsuit – filed in the US district court in Eugene, Oregon – challenges US Department of Agriculture guidance to state agencies which claims some immigrants are ineligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, including permanent residents who were granted asylum or admitted as refugees.

The USDA issued the new guidance in October after passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which narrowed SNAP eligibility for some noncitizens.

"Keenly aware that tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents in Plaintiff States face immediate ineligibility for crucial SNAP benefits and that the States themselves face not only a significant burden in administering the Guidance, but also devastating financial penalties if they do not do so immediately, Plaintiff States now seek declaratory and injunctive relief," the complaint reads.

Launched by the AGs of 21 states and the District of Columbia, the lawsuit argues that the USDA's memo goes far beyond the provisions of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" in barring SNAP eligibility for people granted asylum and humanitarian parole once they become lawful permanent residents.

"The federal government’s shameful quest to take food away from children and families continues," New York AG Letitia James said in a statement. "USDA has no authority to arbitrarily cut entire groups of people out of the SNAP program, and no one should go hungry because of the circumstances of their arrival to this country."

In New York alone, the guidance is expected to impact around 35,000 lawful permanent residents and their families.