Michigan joins lawsuit over SNAP benefits. How to track all federal actions

Michigan Legal professional Normal Dana Nessel, together with 24 officers from different Democratic-led states and Washington DC, filed one other lawsuit in opposition to the Trump administration on Tuesday, October 28, asking a federal decide to order the federal authorities to cowl meals help prices for thousands and thousands of People.

The lawsuit is simply the newest that Michigan’s lawyer common has joined.

Together with the newest case involving the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program, Nessel has joined lawsuits in opposition to the Trump administration 35 instances over points resembling cuts to the U.S. Division of Training, birthright rights and the defunding of federal funds. Her workplace has additionally issued amicus briefs in 49 different lawsuits in opposition to the federal government.

Michigan Legal professional Normal’s web site lists ‘federal motion’ tracker“which permits folks to trace the AG’s actions in opposition to the federal government in what Nessel calls a “response to varied illegal federal insurance policies and orders.”

The newest lawsuit was filed because the U.S. Division of Agriculture notified Michigan and different states that it plans to droop meals help funds underneath the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP) after November 1.

The court casefiled Oct. 28 in Massachusetts, alleging that the U.S. Division of Agriculture — which oversees SNAP — is unlawfully threatening to cease paying advantages after Nov. 1 because of the federal shutdown.

Nessel and officers from the opposite states argue that the company is legally required to make use of emergency funds and different assets underneath its management to cowl SNAP advantages, which give meals help within the type of funds made obtainable by means of profit playing cards to low-income people and households. Greater than 1.4 million Michiganders obtain SNAP advantages.

This is what it is advisable to know concerning the tracker.

How you can see the Michigan lawyer common’s Trump administration tracker

Michigan Department of Attorney General Workplace presents a tracker for federal lawsuits on its web site website.

The tracker consists of data resembling hyperlinks to the lawsuit grievance (which lists all plaintiffs), when a case was filed, the identify of the case, press releases associated to the case, a abstract of the case in Nessel’s phrases, and the standing of every case.

Along with itemizing lawsuits to which Michigan has turn out to be a celebration, the tracker additionally lists all instances through which Nessel’s workplace has written an amicus curiae temporary. The time period means “pal of the court docket” in Latin and is a document with legal arguments from a person or group that isn’t a celebration to a case however might have a big curiosity within the subject into consideration, based on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers.

What number of instances has Michigan’s lawyer common sued the Trump administration?

As of Oct. 20, Nessel had sued the Trump administration 34 instances since he took workplace in January 2025, the web tracker says. The quantity doesn’t embody the newest case on SNAP advantages.

Moreover, the Michigan Legal professional Normal’s federal motion tracker lists 49 cases through which Michigan has filed an amicus temporary opposing the Trump administration’s actions. The most recent shortly came October 13th versus federalized Nationwide Guard troops being despatched to Chicago.

Nessel’s tracker web page claims her actions have saved or recouped $1.9 billion for Michigan residents

Who’s Dana Nessel?

A former public prosecutor and civil rights lawyer Nessel, a Democrat, was sworn in as Michigan’s 54th lawyer common on Jan. 1, 2019, based on a biography on her marketing campaign web site.

A graduate of the College of Michigan and Wayne State College Legislation Faculty, Nessel lives in southeastern Michigan along with her spouse Alanna Maguire and her twin sons Alex and Zach.

The Free Press contributed to this story.

Jalen Williams is a trending reporter on the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.