This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
A federal judge temporarily blocked an order from the Trump administration that would have forced Colorado to recertify families receiving food assistance or potentially lose those benefits.
In December, the administration ordered Colorado to participate in a USDA pilot project that would have required the state to conduct in-person interviews for more than 100,000 households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in five counties within 30 days.
Shortly after, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser updated an existing lawsuit against the administration to include concerns about the order.
U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson issued the preliminary injunction against the Trump administration after a hearing on Wednesday.
“This was not a real pilot project. It was punishment from the Trump administration and Agriculture Secretary Rollins, who disagree with our mail-in ballot elections and how we carry out our state criminal justice system. The administration cannot punish Coloradans into submission, and I’ll continue to fight back when the federal government harms Colorado and acts like it’s above the law,” Weiser said.
He added that the timeline imposed by the administration would have been impossible to meet.
