Federal Judge Strikes Down USDA SNAP Food Restrictions in Five States
A federal court struck down USDA approvals of SNAP food restriction waivers in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia, ruling the agency exceeded its authority in Aragon v. Rollins.
Federal Judge Strikes Down USDA SNAP Food Restrictions in Five States A federal court struck down USDA approvals of SNAP food restriction waivers in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia, ruling the agency exceeded its authority in Aragon v. Rollins. Aaron Rafferty June 24, 2026 Key Takeaways On June 22, 2026, a federal court struck down USDA approvals of SNAP food restriction waivers in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled the USDA exceeded its authority under the Food and Nutrition Act and skipped a required 30-day public notice. The decision covers five of 23 state waivers and could become a roadmap for challenges to the rest. A federal court struck down the USDA's approval of SNAP food restriction waivers in five states on June 22, 2026, ruling that the agency overstepped its legal authority. Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. invalidated the demonstrations in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia in Aragon v. Rollins , according to Civil Eats and the Food Research and Action Center . The waivers let states bar SNAP participants from buying items like soda and candy with their benefits. Since 2025, the USDA has approved 23 such waivers, a sharp break from decades of practice in which both parties, including the first Trump administration, denied them. The five plaintiffs were SNAP recipients, among them a participant with diabetes who relied on small cans of soda and juice to treat blood-sugar drops, and a Tennessee mother whose daughter with a restrictive eating disorder had few qualifying safe foods. Jackson found the USDA approved the projects under a pilot-project provision meant to improve program efficiency, when food restrictions fall u