Washington state, along with 20 other Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, sued the federal government Wednesday to stop it from cutting off food stamp benefits to tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents, including refugees and immigrants granted asylum.

The coalition seeks to block the implementation of new guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that permanently prevents several legal immigrant groups from enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, even if they became green card holders.

The guidance, issued to states Oct. 31, interprets a provision in the major Republican-backed tax and spending bill signed by President Donald Trump in July that narrowed the categories of noncitizens eligible for SNAP, the country’s largest anti-hunger

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