❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that suspending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to 42 million Americans amid the Senate Democrats’ government shutdown is likely unlawful.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, the Trump administration, and leaders of 25 Democrat-run states.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was made on Friday in Boston, Massachusetts.
🎯IMPACT: The ruling stops short of ordering the White House to use emergency funds, leaving SNAP benefits in limbo.
A federal judge in Massachusetts has determined that the Trump administration’s decision to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to 42 million Americans due to the ongoing Democrat-caused government shutdown is likely unlawful. However, the judge did not mandate the use of emergency funds to continue the benefits.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani—appointed by former President Barack Obama—instructed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to report by Monday on whether it can authorize reduced SNAP benefits using disaster response funds or full benefits using emergency and additional funds.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by leaders of 25 Democratic-run states and the District of Columbia against the USDA, after the agency warned that funds for SNAP benefits had depleted.
Saturday marks the first time in 60 years that federal SNAP funding has lapsed. The states argue that the administration is violating the Food and Nutrition Act, which mandates assistance for all eligible households.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that the contingency fund is insufficient to cover the required $9.2 billion for November SNAP and is only usable if the underlying program is funded. This fund is typically reserved for natural disasters like hurricanes.
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