Chicago – November 06, 2025
A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to fully fund November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by Friday, rejecting the administration’s plan to only issue reduced payments amid the ongoing government shutdown. U.S. District Judge John McConnell accused the administration of withholding food aid benefits for political reasons and emphasized that further delays would cause irreversible harm to millions of low-income Americans relying on the program.
The SNAP program supports approximately 42 million people by providing monthly food assistance, but the administration had initially planned to suspend benefits due to funding shortfalls caused by the shutdown. After previous court rulings, the administration agreed to partial payments, drawing from a contingency fund. However, Judge McConnell ruled that the government must access additional USDA funds to ensure full payments are made by Friday to prevent hunger and suffering.
The ruling came after a lawsuit by local governments and nonprofit groups seeking full benefit distribution. The Trump administration announced it would comply with the order but also filed an appeal, leaving some uncertainty over the timing of benefit deliveries. The judge warned such interruptions should never happen in America and emphasized the critical importance of SNAP in supporting vulnerable families during the crisis.
