The suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits due to the federal government shutdown could impact nearly 1.9 million Illinois residents, according to a community announcement.

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) is working to ensure consumers are prepared for the planned suspension, which is set to begin at midnight on Nov. 1. The suspension was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. It means that SNAP recipients will not receive new deposits unless Congress reaches an agreement to end the shutdown. However, recipients will still be able to use any remaining benefits from October.

The Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program will not be affected, and recipients can continue to redeem their benefits as usual.

Retailers are expecting confusion at check-out counters and are coordinating closely with Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, the Illinois Department of Human Services and organizations like the Greater Chicago Food Depository to share important information and updates, according to the announcement.

IRMA has compiled resources for SNAP recipients and retailers, including how to locate local meal programs and food distribution centers, on its website.

This story was created by reporter Abreanna Blose, ablose@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct. 

CHICAGO (WLS) — Governor Pritzker signed an executive order declaring an agricultural trade crisis in Illinois on Wednesday.

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“This order directs our state agencies to take immediate action, promoting domestic markets for agricultural commodities and expanding health resources for our rural communities,” Pritzker said.

Before the scheduled signing, Pritzker visited the Curtin Family Farm in Taylorville, Illinois.

His office said he joined farmers to discuss how Trump tariffs are impacting the Illinois farming community.

The executive order signing was expected to gin at 10:30 a.m.

READ ALSO | Pritzker creates ‘Illinois Accountability Commission’ in executive order amid federal deployments

ILLINOIS – Illinois has joined 25 other states in suing the Trump administration over its decision to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

The shutdown began Oct. 1 after lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement.

What we know:

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday that he joined a coalition of 26 attorneys general and governors in filing the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins. The suit accuses the agency of unlawfully suspending SNAP, which helps more than 40 million Americans buy food.

While the federal government funds and sets the monthly allotment for SNAP benefits, states are responsible for administering the program.

On Oct. 10, the USDA warned state SNAP agencies that if the shutdown continued, it would not have sufficient funds to pay full November benefits. 

Two weeks later, on Oct. 24, the agency notified states that SNAP benefits would be suspended beginning Nov. 1, according to Raoul.

The lawsuit argues that the USDA’s claim of insufficient funds is false, noting the agency has access to billions in SNAP-specific contingency funds. It also claims the USDA has used emergency funds to support other programs during the shutdown but “has refused to fund SNAP.”

According to the filing, the suspension of benefits is “contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.” The coalition also argues the USDA lacks authority to halt SNAP payments because Congress has already appropriated funding for the program.

The full lawsuit can be viewed below.

What’s next:

Raoul said he and other attorneys general plan to seek a temporary restraining order requiring the court to immediately restore SNAP benefits.

The lawsuit was also joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Governors from Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania also signed on to the complaint.