WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately release the full November SNAP benefits, rejecting the administration’s plan to provide only partial aid to the nation’s largest food assistance program during the ongoing government shutdown.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. issued the order Thursday in Rhode Island, instructing officials to use available federal funds to fully cover Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments for about 42 million Americans.
“People have gone without for too long,” McConnell said during the hearing. He called the administration’s partial funding plan insufficient and warned that food banks and community organizations are already strained.
“The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” he said. “Last weekend, SNAP benefits lapsed for the first time in our nation’s history. This is a problem that could have and should have been avoided.”
The administration previously stated it would not utilize a congressionally approved contingency fund containing $4.65 billion, claiming that doing so exceeded its authority. The total cost for full November benefits is estimated at around $8 billion. Previous administrations continued SNAP payments during government shutdowns.
Cities, nonprofits, faith organizations, unions and business groups sued to force the release of the funds. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued the administration was attempting to “leverage people’s hunger to gain partisan political advantage.”
McConnell sharply criticized delays in restarting benefits, noting that President Trump had publicly threatened to halt payments until the government reopened, which he said demonstrated an intent to defy court orders.
“This should never happen in America,” McConnell said.
The administration has until Friday to deliver full benefits. Spokespeople for the White House and the Department of Agriculture did not respond to requests for comment.
