Filed Date: June 4, 2025
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
This case challenged the Trump Administration's termination of a food assistance program which used 100% of its funds to buy food from local farmers that was then distributed through Pennsylvania's charitable food network to people and communities experiencing hunger.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined in March 2025 that the Local Food Purchase Assistance 2025 Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) no longer effectuated its priorities, and thus defunded it, but provided no reasoning or justification for this determination. Originally funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, LFPA was supplemented in 2022 by a USDA subcorporation; Pennsylvania received almost $30 million of funding between those two years. By May 2025, Pennsylvania reported it had only $30,000 of that funding left. Pennsylvania had used that money to buy over 5 million meals for its neediest residents. Plaintiffs alleged that USDA's termination of LFPA violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Fifth Amendment.
On June 4, 2025, the Governor of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and its Secretary filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, its Secretary, and the Agricultural Marketing Service. Plaintiffs sought a declaration that USDA's termination was unlawful, vacatur of that termination, and attorneys' fees. The case was assigned to Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr.
On June 26, 2025, plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction; defendants filed their response opposing that motion on July 17, 2025. On July 28, 2025, defendants moved to dismiss this case. Plaintiffs filed a response opposing dismissal on August 13.
On December 3, 2025, the court granted the defendant's motion to dismiss the case. 2025 WL 3473291. It reasoned, first, that the plaintiffs' APA claims were essentially contractual -- because the source of the rights the plaintiffs sought to vindicate was the LFPA cooperative agreement from 2025 -- rather than based on federal statute or regulation, and that they therefore belonged in the Court of Federal Claims. As to the Fifth Amendment due process claim, the court held that plaintiffs failed to plausibly allege the deprivation of a protected property interest. It therefore granted the motion to dismiss, denied the motion for preliminary relief as moot, and closed the case.
On January 2, 2026, the plaintiffs appealed the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The appeal remains pending.
Summary Authors
Matt Petrillo (7/31/2025)
Calvin OConnell (12/8/2025)
Clearinghouse (1/31/2026)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70452516/parties/shapiro-v-us-department-of-agriculture/
Boyer, Jacob (Pennsylvania)
Esq., Stephen R. (Pennsylvania)
Esq., Richard Euliss, (Pennsylvania)
Esq., Timothy S. (Pennsylvania)
Esq., Patrick J. (Pennsylvania)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70452516/shapiro-v-us-department-of-agriculture/
Last updated Feb. 11, 2026, 12:58 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Presidential/Gubernatorial Authority
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 4, 2025
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The Governor of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
U.S. Department of Agriculture (- United States (national) -), Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Ex Parte Young (Federal) or Bivens
Ex parte Young (federal or state officials)
Constitutional Clause(s):
Due Process: Procedural Due Process
Other Dockets:
Middle District of Pennsylvania 1:25-cv-00998
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 26-01014
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Benefits (Source):