Washington: The Trump administration has requested the US Supreme Court to suspend a Rhode Island federal judge’s order that mandates the government to fully fund the nation’s primary food assistance program, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), amid the ongoing federal shutdown. The order requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately address a $4 billion shortfall, ensuring uninterrupted benefits for more than 42 million low-income Americans.
In an emergency filing late Friday, the administration urged the justices to act swiftly to halt the directive issued by US District Judge John McConnell in Providence. The judge had ruled that the USDA must use funds from a separate nutrition program backed by $23.35 billion in tariff-derived revenue to make up for the deficit.
The Department of Justice argued that enforcing McConnell’s ruling would “sow further shutdown chaos,” warning that it could trigger “a run on the bank by way of judicial fiat.” Officials maintained that the administration had already committed $4.65 billion in emergency funding to partially sustain SNAP through November, though full monthly funding requires $8.5–9 billion.
Judge McConnell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, criticized the administration’s decision to withhold the funds, accusing it of acting out of political motives. His ruling came as a victory for a coalition of cities and nonprofit organizations represented by the progressive legal group Democracy Forward, which had challenged the funding freeze.
Following McConnell’s decision, the Trump administration immediately petitioned the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston to stay the order. However, the appellate court denied the request, prompting the administration to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.
In their response, the plaintiffs argued that any delay in restoring full SNAP benefits would cause irreparable harm to millions of vulnerable Americans. “The court should deny the defendants’ motion and not allow them to further delay getting vital food assistance to individuals and families who need it now,” they said in a filing.
Even as the administration sought to block the lower court’s ruling, the USDA notified states that it would make funds available to fully finance SNAP for November. This mixed messaging caused confusion among state agencies, some of which quickly moved to distribute aid.
States such as New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts confirmed that they had directed their welfare departments to issue full SNAP benefits this month. “President Trump should never have put the American people in this position,” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said, calling the situation “a manufactured crisis.”
The disruption marks the first lapse in SNAP benefits in the program’s 60-year history, leaving many families turning to food banks and other emergency sources for help. Reports from across the country describe recipients skipping meals, cutting medication costs, or relying on overstretched community pantries to get by.
SNAP provides monthly assistance to households earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line. For fiscal year 2026, the maximum monthly benefit stands at $298 for individuals and $546 for a two-person household.
As the Supreme Court weighs the administration’s emergency appeal, the outcome could have sweeping implications for federal authority over welfare funding and for millions of Americans struggling under the strain of the government shutdown.