US President Donald Trump (R) speaks during a meeting with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 20, 2025.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday blocked the Trump administration from ceasing to pay SNAP benefits during the U.S. government shutdown.
The oral ruling by Judge Jack McConnell came a day before the administration was set to cut off those food stamp benefits from 42 million Americans.
A Justice Department lawyer argued during a hearing that the SNAP program did not exist anymore because there were no congressionally appropriated funds for it as a result of the shutdown.
The lawyer, Tyler Becker, also argued it was the administration’s discretion whether to use $6 billion in contingency funds already set aside by Congress to continue issuing SNAP benefits.
McConnell, in his ruling, ordered the administration to use those funds to maintain at least some of the SNAP benefits normally paid. He also said the administration needed to examine whether other federal funds would be available to keep the program operating in the absence of a funding bill by Congress.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
