Judges order Trump administration to continue SNAP funding amid shutdown
Two federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration must continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the government shutdown threatens to cut off benefits for nearly 42 million people.
Two federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration must continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the government shutdown threatens to cut off benefits for nearly 42 million people.
Two federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration must continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the government shutdown threatens to cut off benefits for nearly 42 million people.
Two federal judges ordered Friday that the Trump administration continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which was set to expire Nov. 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown. A disruption to the nation's largest food aid program would affect nearly 42 million people who receive benefits.
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In a separate case, another federal court judge whether it would fully or partially fund the program through November.
Before the decisions Friday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who oversees SNAP funding for each state, said the USDA could not legally use emergency funds for the program and warned that even if it could, the money would barely cover the costs.
Meanwhile, local food pantries claim they are reaching a breaking point as they work desperately to feed a surge of new clients, including furloughed federal workers, bracing for a potential crisis if SNAP benefits are cut off.
"These are very, very at-need people who are on these programs," Ashley Domm of Bread for the City, the largest food pantry in Washington D.C., said. "They cannot go a month without these benefits. That's essentially how they get a vast majority of their groceries. We offer people about a week's worth of groceries because about three weeks of the month, they're going to be covered by SNAP."
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers continue to trade blame for the potential disruption to SNAP during the shutdown, which is set to become the longest in U.S. history next week if nothing is done. As the threat to SNAP continues, some states are reportedly taking their own action by sending money to food banks to help those who need it.
Hearst's Get the Facts Data Team found that 1 in 8 people in the U.S. are currently receiving SNAP benefits. And, in May 2025, some $7.8 billion in benefits were distributed across the country.
Additional county-by-county data shows how many people are reliant on the program, suggesting a growing and widespread hunger "crisis" across the country is taking hold.
As of Friday afternoon, inquiries to the White House, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the USDA were not returned following two Friday's court decisions.
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