Friday, October 31, 2025
U.S. District Court Judges have blocked the Trump administration from ceasing to pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the government shutdown.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that federal food aid would not go out on November 1 as the government shutdown continues.
Justice Department lawyer Tyler Becker had argued during a hearing that the program ceased to exist anymore, because there were no congressionally appropriated funds for it as a result of the shutdown; he maintained it was the administration’s discretion whether to use $6 billion in contingency funds already set aside by Congress to continue issuing SNAP benefits.
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In his ruling granting a temporary restraining order to plaintiffs who sued to maintain the benefits, U.S. District Court Judge for Rhode Island Jack McConnell told the Trump administration to use those funds to maintain at least some of the SNAP benefits normally paid.
In a memorandum entered on Friday, U.S District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Massachasetts wrote, “Plaintiffs have standing to bring this action and are likely to succeed on their claim that Defendants’ suspension of SNAP benefits is unlawful.”
“There is no doubt and it is beyond argument that irreparable harm will begin to occur if it hasn’t already occurred,” said McConnell, an Obama appointee.
Latest for SNAP – and Rhode Island
As GoLocal reported ,Rhode Island’s top elected officials took action on Tuesday against the Trump administration’s upcoming suspension of supplemental benefits.
“The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November,” reported CBS. “That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.”
On Tuesday, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee declared a State of Emergency and announced a “series of actions to support Rhode Islanders.”
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