The latest SNAP benefits court ruling forced the Trump administration to restore full support for 42 million low-income Americans, raising the stakes in a widening legal and political fight.
The order came as the shutdown continued to strain families struggling to afford food.
Judge Demands Immediate Action
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled Thursday in Rhode Island that the federal government must fully fund November SNAP benefits. He said the administration had access to previously appropriated emergency money and needed to use it now.
Judge McConnell referenced $23 billion in Section 32 funds, which the USDA controls, and told government lawyers that the law required those funds to keep SNAP running during the shutdown. He said the government had no reason to delay payments already due on November 1.
The administration initially committed to only partial payments. Officials said they needed to conserve money for child nutrition programs. The judge rejected that claim and said the government had stalled for political purposes.
“People have gone without for too long,” McConnell said in court. “Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.” He ordered the administration to fund November benefits by Friday fully.
Tense Exchange in Court
During Thursday’s hearing, McConnell criticized President Donald Trump for publicly stating that SNAP would remain unfunded until the government reopened. The judge said the president’s comments signaled “an intent to defy” the court’s earlier temporary restraining order.
He said families had already faced six days of delays and noted that 16 million children rely on the program. “Irreparable harm,” he said, describing the impact on households unable to buy food.
The judge also dismissed the Justice Department’s argument that states, not the federal government, caused any delays. A government lawyer said USDA had completed a partial payment and blamed state agencies for administrative holdups. McConnell said statements from Trump and senior officials made clear that the federal government intentionally withheld funds.
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Administration Pushes Back
After the SNAP benefits court ruling, the Justice Department filed an emergency request with the First Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday morning. Government attorneys argued that McConnell overreached by directing the USDA to locate and spend money without congressional authorization.
“This unprecedented injunction makes a mockery of the separation of powers,” DOJ lawyers wrote. They said courts lack the authority to order spending decisions and criticized the directive to “find $4 billion in the metaphorical couch cushions.”
The appeals court asked the coalition of cities, labor unions, nonprofits, and small businesses that brought the lawsuit to respond by noon Friday. That coalition argued that the government had ample resources and refused to use them.
What Comes Next
The showdown now moves to the appeals court, where judges will decide whether to pause the order or force the administration to comply. The ruling affects millions of households already squeezed by lost income, inflation, and the prolonged shutdown.
As the legal battle escalates, every delay puts more pressure on families and raises deeper questions about how federal agencies handle critical nutrition programs when politics takes over.