A federal judge has ordered U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to fully fund food aid benefits for 42 million low-income Americans by Friday, blocking its plan to provide only reduced payments during the ongoing government shutdown.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, ruled that the administration’s move to limit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, was “politically motivated” and would cause severe harm to millions.
“The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell said during a virtual court hearing on Thursday. “That’s what irreparable harm here means.”
The Trump administration immediately filed an appeal, leaving uncertainty over whether the full benefits will be paid by Friday as ordered.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP, said it would comply “to the extent possible” but blamed Senate Democrats for blocking Republican-backed stopgap bills that could have reopened the government.
“It’s an absurd ruling,” Vice President J.D. Vance said at the White House. “We’re in a Democrat government shutdown, and instead of working to reopen the government, the judge is telling us how to spend funds we don’t have authorization for.”
SNAP provides monthly assistance to Americans earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line. The maximum monthly benefit for fiscal year 2026 is $298 for one person and $546 for a two-person household. The program costs between $8.5 billion and $9 billion a month.
Earlier this week, the USDA announced it would use $5.25 billion in emergency funds to cover about 65% of November’s SNAP payments, after deducting $600 million in administrative costs for states. The agency later revised its estimate, saying benefits would be cut by 35%, not 50% as initially projected.
Judge McConnell, an Obama appointee, ruled that the partial funding plan violated his earlier order requiring the administration to ensure full payments or demonstrate that partial benefits could be distributed without disrupting state systems.
He cited reports from states like Minnesota, which said it would take six weeks to update its outdated payment software, and Pennsylvania, which said it would need up to 12 days.
The ruling came after Democratic-led states and advocacy groups, including the nonprofit Democracy Forward, sued the Trump administration over its suspension of SNAP benefits.
McConnell agreed with their argument that the USDA ignored the administrative burdens of implementing partial benefits and should instead tap a $23.35 billion fund derived from tariffs, previously used for child nutrition programs.
In a sharply worded opinion, McConnell accused the administration of defying the court’s authority, citing Trump’s recent public statement that “SNAP benefits will only be paid when the shutdown ends.”
“Last weekend, SNAP benefits lapsed for the first time in our nation’s history,” McConnell wrote. “This is a problem that could have and should have been avoided.”
The decision underscores the escalating tension between the White House and the courts amid a 37-day government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, as millions of vulnerable Americans await confirmation that their next food assistance payment will arrive on time.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
