SNAP and the US Supreme Court; left to right: Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Samuel A. Alito, Jr., and Elena Kagan. Back: Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a Rhode Island judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as millions of Americans await food aid during the ongoing government shutdown.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. ordered the administration on Thursday, Nov. 6, to issue full November SNAP payments by Friday, Nov. 7, using Section 32 funds after finding the government’s plan to pay only 65% of benefits “unacceptable.”

“This should never happen in America,” McConnell said during the hearing. “The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur.”

The ruling followed weeks of uncertainty over the future of SNAP, which provides assistance to roughly 42 million low-income Americans. The Trump administration argued it could not legally draw from Section 32 reserves and had already allocated $4.65 billion in contingency funds to cover partial benefits.

Appeals Court Denies Immediate Relief

On Friday, Nov. 7, the First Circuit Court of Appeals denied the government’s request for an administrative stay but left open the question of a longer pause while the appeal proceeds. The court noted that the administration had not disputed its authority to use Section 32 funds but “failed to act expeditiously” to distribute payments.

Supreme Court Steps In Late Friday

That same evening, the administration filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court. Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson granted a short-term administrative stay, halting enforcement of McConnell’s order while the appellate court reviews the government’s request for a longer stay.

The Justice Department warned that, without the Court’s intervention, it would need to “transfer an estimated $4 billion by tonight” to comply with the district court’s order.

Jackson’s ruling temporarily suspends the payment mandate for up to 48 hours after the appeals court’s next decision, buying the administration brief relief amid intensifying political pressure.

Shutdown Stalemate Grows

The federal government shutdown—now in its second month—has disrupted essential programs and paychecks nationwide after Congress failed to reach a funding deal. Judge McConnell previously accused the administration of using SNAP benefits to “leverage people’s hunger to gain partisan political advantage.”

The First Circuit is expected to issue a ruling on the stay request early next week.