Joshua Hughes has filed a federal lawsuit seeking a court‑ordered hearing after the Commonwealth’s Nutrition Assistance Program allegedly ignored his appeal for 11 months.
Hughes, a 40‑year‑old Saipan resident who relies on Supplemental Security Income, sued the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and the Nutrition Assistance Program on July 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He is represented by Christopher A. Heeb of Micronesian Legal Services Corporation.
The complaint names DCCA Secretary Francisco Rabauliman and NAP Administrator Margarita Torres‑Aldan as defendants in their official capacities.
According to the filing, Hughes submitted his annual NAP renewal in June 2025 while receiving $967 per month in SSI benefits. The agency awarded him $41 per month in food assistance, but Hughes argues the governing formula should have provided about $141 monthly.
A June 30 notice informed Hughes of his right to request a fair hearing, which he did on July 3, 2025. CNMI regulations require NAP to schedule the hearing, notify the household, conduct the hearing, and issue a decision within 60 days. The lawsuit says none of those steps occurred.
“More than eleven (11) months have passed and yet no notice of hearing has been issued, nor a hearing scheduled or conducted,” the complaint states.
Hughes argues the prolonged delay violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because qualified individuals have a protected property interest in food‑assistance benefits.
The lawsuit asks the federal court to declare that the agencies’ failure to act violates Hughes’ constitutional rights and to issue an injunction ordering DCCA and NAP to promptly conduct the fair hearing required under CNMI regulations. Hughes also seeks attorney’s fees and requests that the court retain jurisdiction to ensure compliance.
