Judge Orders Trump Administration to Continue SNAP Payments During Federal Shutdown

A federal court in Rhode Island on Friday directed the Trump administration to keep disbursing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits despite the continuing partial shutdown of the U.S. government.

U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell issued the oral ruling in Providence, instructing officials to tap existing emergency contingency funds “as soon as possible” to prevent an interruption of aid. SNAP currently serves about 42 million people nationwide.

The decision arrived one day before the administration had planned to halt November payments. In his remarks from the bench, McConnell said families faced “irreparable harm” without assurance that funds for food would remain available.

Competing Legal Arguments

During Friday’s hearing, attorneys for a coalition of cities, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, and business groups argued that suspending benefits during the shutdown was an “arbitrary and capricious act” that created a crisis for low-income households. The plaintiffs had filed suit in U.S. District Court in Providence a day earlier, seeking emergency relief.

Justice Department lawyer Tyler Becker countered that SNAP no longer legally existed because Congress had not passed new appropriations. Becker maintained that using up to $6 billion in contingency funds was a matter of executive discretion and said a shutdown “is not an emergency.”

McConnell rejected that position and ordered the administration to release the contingency funds and to explore whether additional federal resources could support the program until lawmakers approve a spending measure.

Parallel Case in Boston

The Rhode Island ruling came minutes after U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, overseeing a separate lawsuit brought by several states, indicated the plaintiffs were likely to prove that stopping SNAP benefits was unlawful. Talwani gave federal officials until Monday to say whether they would authorize at least reduced payments for November and to outline a timetable for deciding whether to cover full benefits by combining contingency money with other funds.

Response From the White House

President Donald Trump posted on social media that government lawyers doubted their authority to fund SNAP with available money and noted what he called “conflicting opinions” from the two courts. Trump stated he had told attorneys to seek clarification and expressed willingness to provide funding if a court identified a legal path, comparing the situation to earlier decisions to continue military and law-enforcement pay during the shutdown.

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Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, declined in separate televised interviews to say whether the administration would comply with either court order. Hassett warned that relying on Department of Agriculture emergency funds could limit resources needed for future disasters.

Political Reaction

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed the court actions, calling the initial plan to cut off aid “vindictive and heartless.” The administration, meanwhile, continued to blame Senate Democrats for the lapse in funding, citing their refusal to support a House-passed stopgap measure that omitted an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies favored by Democrats.

Next Steps

McConnell’s temporary restraining order remains in force while the underlying lawsuit proceeds. The injunction requires federal agencies to continue processing SNAP benefits and to assess additional funding streams if contingency reserves prove insufficient.

SNAP, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, provides monthly assistance to eligible low-income individuals for purchasing groceries. Details on program operations can be found through the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

Crédito da imagem: AFP via Getty Images