The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration temporary permission to withhold about $4 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), affecting 42 million low-income Americans during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The court’s administrative stay, issued by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, allows more time for the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider the administration’s request to partially fund the food aid program for November.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell had previously ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fully fund November’s SNAP benefits, which cost around $8.5 to $9 billion monthly. His decision came after the administration announced it would only provide $4.65 billion in emergency funding. McConnell, appointed by President Barack Obama, accused the Trump administration of withholding benefits for political reasons and instructed the USDA to use funds from another department program with $23.35 billion available from tariffs to cover the shortfall.
Justice Jackson emphasized that the lower court should act quickly, setting the stay to expire two days after the appellate court issues its decision. The administration argued that McConnell’s ruling would create further “shutdown chaos” by forcing the government to redirect funds beyond its legal authority. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the Supreme Court’s intervention, calling McConnell’s order “judicial activism at its worst.”
The 1st Circuit Court denied an administrative stay but is still reviewing the government’s appeal. Meanwhile, states like New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts have begun issuing full SNAP benefits after receiving USDA guidance. Advocates, including the liberal legal group Democracy Forward, urged the courts to ensure that millions of Americans continue to receive essential food aid, warning that delays could worsen hunger during the shutdown. SNAP benefits, vital for families earning under 130% of the federal poverty line, provide up to $546 monthly for a two-person household.