A coalition of 25 state leaders, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, announced Tuesday it is suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture for what it said was "unlawfully suspending" food assistance benefits beginning Saturday during the federal government shutdown.

The decision "threatens catastrophic consequences" for millions of Americans and will "exacerbate food insecurity nationwide," the coalition said in a news release.

The federal administration's "refusal to issue SNAP payments to more than 40 million Americans — including nearly three million New Yorkers — violates federal law and could leave countless families hungry," the coalition said in the release.

The White House press office referred a Newsday emailed inquiry seeking its reaction to the lawsuit to the feder

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