THE Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a federal judge’s order requiring full funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for 42 million low-income Americans this month, citing concerns that compliance could worsen chaos during the government shutdown.
Reuters reported on Saturday that the emergency filing seeks immediate relief from the Rhode Island-based ruling by U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who ordered the Department of Agriculture to cover an expected US$4 billion shortfall in SNAP benefits for November. The program typically costs US$8.5 billion to US$9 billion monthly.
Department of Justice lawyers argued that McConnell’s ruling would “sow further shutdown chaos” and create “a run on the bank by way of judicial fiat.” McConnell, an Obama appointee, accused the administration of withholding food aid for “political reasons,” granting a victory to a coalition of cities and nonprofits represented by Democracy Forward.
The legal challengers warned that delaying SNAP funding would harm nearly one in eight Americans. “The court should deny Defendants’ motion and not allow them to further delay getting vital food assistance to individuals and families who need it now,” they wrote.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request to pause McConnell’s order, prompting the emergency appeal to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the USDA notified states it would make funds available to fully cover SNAP benefits, and states including New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts directed agencies to issue payments in full.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey criticised the federal government’s handling of the program. “President Trump should never have put the American people in this position,” she said. SNAP benefits lapsed at the start of the month for the first time in the program’s 60-year history, forcing recipients to turn to strained food pantries and make difficult financial sacrifices.
SNAP provides monthly support to Americans earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line, with the maximum monthly benefit for the 2026 fiscal year set at $298 for a one-person household and $546 for a two-person household. - November 8, 2025
