Federal Judge Blocks Trump Threats to Remove Coloradans from SNAP

The preliminary injunction stops an order that would have required Colorado to conduct in-person interviews for 100,000 households receiving food stamps.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 4:15pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A federal judge in Denver has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that would have forced Colorado to recertify families with low incomes on food stamps or risk losing food assistance benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had ordered Colorado to conduct in-person interviews for 100,000 households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits within 30 days, which the state said was an impossible task.

Why it matters

This ruling is a victory for Colorado, which argued the Trump administration was trying to punish the state by threatening to remove it from the SNAP program, potentially impacting 600,000 Coloradans. The case is part of a broader legal battle between Colorado and the Trump administration over issues like the relocation of Space Command and the dismantling of federal research facilities in the state.

The details

U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson issued the preliminary injunction after a hearing, siding with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser who argued the USDA order was an attempt to punish the state. If Colorado had failed to complete the SNAP beneficiary recertification, the USDA threatened sanctions including potentially removing Colorado from the program entirely.

  • On December 18, 2025, the Trump administration ordered Colorado to conduct in-person interviews for 100,000 SNAP households within 30 days.
  • On January 28, 2026, Judge Jackson issued the preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's order.

The players

R. Brooke Jackson

A federal judge in Denver who was appointed by President Barack Obama and issued the preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's order.

Phil Weiser

The Colorado Attorney General who brought the case against the Trump administration, arguing the order was an attempt to punish the state.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The federal agency that issued the order to Colorado, threatening sanctions if the state failed to recertify 100,000 SNAP households within 30 days.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The administration cannot punish Colorado into submission, and I'll continue to fight back when the federal government harms Colorado and acts like it's above the law.”

— Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General (Colorado Sun)

What’s next

Judge Jackson said a written order would follow, further explaining the reasoning behind the preliminary injunction. The broader legal battle between Colorado and the Trump administration over issues like Space Command and federal research facilities in the state is still pending with the court.

The takeaway

This ruling is a significant win for Colorado in its ongoing fight against the Trump administration's efforts to punish the state. It demonstrates the state's willingness to challenge federal overreach and protect critical social safety net programs like SNAP that support hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.