October 31, 2025
The Oct. 31 oral ruling by Judge Jack McConnell of Rhode Island came just 24 hours before the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was set to cut off food stamps of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Just in the nick of time, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration must keep SNAP benefits going during the government shutdown, as 42 million Americans depend on the program, CNBC reported.
The Oct. 31 oral ruling by Judge Jack McConnell of Rhode Island came just 24 hours before the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was set to cut off food stamps of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Department of Justice attorney Tyler Beckler argued that the program no longer exists because there were no further congressionally allocated funds for it due to the shutdown.
Following conversations among numerous attorneys general and members of Congress about the $6 billion in a contingency fund that could be used for SNAP benefits, Beckler claimed the decision on its use was at the administration’s discretion.
“There is no SNAP program and, as a result, the government cannot just provide SNAP benefits,” Becker argued.
But McConnell had the affected American people to consider, finding the SNAP suspension arbitrary, according to ABC News, and likely to cause irreparable harm, as Americans are fearful of how they will meet their basic nutritional needs without it.
“There is no doubt, and it is beyond argument, that irreparable harm will begin to occur — if it hasn’t already occurred — in the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food for their family,” he said during the emergency hearing. “The court is orally at this time, ordering that USDA must distribute the contingency money timely, or as soon as possible, for the November 1 payments to be made.”
The ruling also included a temporary restraining order against the plaintiffs— a coalition of local governments, nonprofits, small businesses, and workers’ rights organizations—in a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration to keep the benefits flowing. The group celebrated McConnell’s ruling, saying it sets a precedent that no administration is above the law.
“Today’s ruling is a lifeline for millions of families, seniors, and veterans who depend on SNAP to put food on the table,” the coalition said in a statement.
“It reaffirms a fundamental principle: no administration can use hunger as a political weapon,” the coalition said. “This victory is about more than one program — it’s about the American values of fairness, compassion, and accountability that hold our democracy together.”
Other federal judges stood firm alongside McConnell’s ruling. Minutes before, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Boston ruled in a separate case that the administration’s suspension attempt was “unlawful,” but did not order the program to be funded. However, she did not issue a temporary restraining order and pushed for the Trump team to decide whether they would adhere to reducing November SNAP benefits.
The administration has until Nov. 3 to decide.
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