Thousands of Michigan residents are getting $3,120 in federal food assistance to settle a lawsuit over benefits that were stopped by Gov. Rick Snyder's administration.
The state aggressively enforced a law that cut off benefits in 2013 and 2014 to people whose names turned up as fugitives wanted for crimes. But attorneys argued that there were errors in police databases, such as wrong identities and outdated information, as well as other problems.
The state settled the class-action case after losing major decisions in two federal courts. The Department of Health and Human Services says $47 million in food aid has been given to 15,000 people so far.
Miriam Aukerman of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan says computers were "spitting people out of the system" without due process.
