The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to temporarily withhold about $4 billion in food aid funding. This decision pauses a lower court order that required full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) this month.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the administrative stay, giving the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals time to review the administration’s formal request. The stay will expire two days after the appeals court delivers its ruling.
The dispute began after U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island ordered the government to release the full SNAP funding, approximately $8.5 to $9 billion per month. SNAP benefits support more than 42 million low-income Americans during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Judge McConnell, appointed by former President Obama, accused the Trump administration of withholding aid for political reasons. The administration argued that releasing full funds immediately would “sow further shutdown chaos” and create fiscal disruption.
Legal And Political Reactions
Lawyers from the Department of Justice warned that the lower court ruling could strain federal finances, describing it as “a run on the bank by way of judicial fiat.”
The Trump administration had offered $4.65 billion in emergency funding to partially cover SNAP benefits for November. However, Judge McConnell ordered the USDA to make up the shortfall using the $23.35 billion child nutrition fund, financed through tariffs. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals later denied a temporary pause, though the broader appeal is still under review.
Impact On Americans
Advocates warn that withholding SNAP benefits could affect one in eight Americans, especially families relying on food stamps for basic nutrition. Some recipients have already turned to food banks and community pantries.
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Despite legal uncertainty, states including New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts instructed agencies to distribute full SNAP benefits for November. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey criticized the federal approach, saying, “President Trump should never have put the American people in this position.”
This marks the first lapse in SNAP benefits in the program’s 60-year history, highlighting the struggles of low-income households during the federal shutdown.
