NEW YORK — On the request of the Trump administration, the Supreme Court has issued an administrative stay on the full release of SNAP funding.

Earlier today, an appellate court decided it would not fulfill the administration’s request for a stay-pending-appeal, which would have delayed an order issued by Judge John. J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island on Thursday.

After the Trump administration announced that it would comply with the judge’s original order– to use the USDA’s contingency budget to fund SNAP as it had originally planned to do— but only up to 65%, Judge McConnell directed the executive branch to use not only that $5 billion pool, but also any Section 32 funds needed to fully fund SNAP for the month of November.

Democrats, including those who brought the initial suit to federal court, have insisted on the use of those additional funds. According to Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935, the federal government is required to retain 30% of import revenues from the previous calendar year to underwrite certain goals of the Department of Agriculture; as of 2025, the value of that account is estimated to be more than $23 billion.

In his ruling last week, Judge McConnell (and his counterpart in Boston, Judge Indira Talwani) chose to defer to the USDA’s discretion on whether or not to dip into the Section 32 fund. But McConnell relented this week, ruling that the administration was dodging his original order by providing only partial funding.

The administration then appealed to the First Circuit, and received a mixed result: the appellate court would rule on the appeal, but until proceedings could take place, they would allow SNAP to be reloaded in full in keeping with Judge McConnell’s ruling. As a result, some states were able to request, receive, and disburse funds to reload residents’ EBT cards in the hours afterward.

Then the Trump administration turned to the Supreme Court, currently stacked with conservatives– three of whom were nominated by President Donald Trump, and three who were nominated by his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush.

The high court elected to grant the stay-pending-appeal. Until at least 48 hours after proceedings in the First Circuit, the administration will only be required to supply 65% of SNAP benefits.

42 million American citizens– about 1 in 8 people, including 16 million children– rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to survive. Already, food banks and smaller pantries across the country were taxed under the weight of still-inflated grocery costs, which have pushed more people to seek emergency help. In the week since SNAP was allowed to freeze, they have reported a new deluge of demand.

The Oneida County Executive’s Office has extended its hours, and committed to opening on Saturdays, in order to provide what assistance it can. Still, the county executive harbors no delusions that his government can furnish the $7 million dollars required to feed 37,000 SNAP-reliant constituents.

In an address to the media on Thursday, Anthony J. Picente Jr. emphasized that the loss of that federal funding would be a significant loss for the local economy, including Oneida County’s farmers; Section 32 requires that requisitioned funds be used to, in part, “encourage the domestic consumption of farm products by diverting surpluses and increasing their use.” Denying the use of that money to fund SNAP– which is often used in turn to purchase agricultural products from state farmer’s markets– appears to contradict that law.

Also tonight, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert for shoppers using SNAP-loaded electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. The AG’s office has received reports of Hannaford and ShopRite locations denying customers who pay with the SNAP, despite accepting it previously. This is illegal.

If a New Yorker is denied the use of their benefits card despite having a balance, James says to tell store staff that they have a balance, and they are able to use it. James also asks that the customer file a complaint with her office identifying what business denied them.

In response to the Supreme Court’s administrative stay on the full-funding of SNAP, James– who was one of the attorneys general who filed the initial lawsuit– says it’s “disgraceful that the Trump administration chose to fight this in court instead of fulfilling its responsibility to the American people.”

“Every day the federal government delays is another day that children, seniors, and families face real pain and suffering. I will not stop fighting until every family has the resources they need to put food on the table.”