A federal judge in Rhode Island has just thrown a lifeline to millions of struggling Americans by ordering the Trump administration to deliver full SNAP benefits by Friday, NBC News reported.
This ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge John McConnell, comes after weeks of chaos surrounding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, amid a government shutdown that left families scrambling for meals.
The mess started when the shutdown triggered uncertainty over SNAP funding, with the Department of Agriculture initially warning that no benefits would be distributed in November if the federal stalemate persisted.
A progressive legal group, Democracy Forward, didn’t sit idly by, filing a lawsuit against the USDA for what they called arbitrary and capricious actions that violated federal law.
After the suit, Judge McConnell ruled last week that the administration must distribute benefits as swiftly as possible, but the Trump team dragged their feet, agreeing only to partial funding with $4.65 billion in contingency funds—covering just 65% of what households normally get.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins claimed it would take weeks to even get that partial relief out the door, leaving families in a lurch while political games played out in Washington.
Last weekend, for the first time in U.S. history, SNAP benefits lapsed, hitting nearly 42 million Americans—four in five of whom are households with children, seniors, or disabled individuals—right where it hurts: their dinner tables.
Food banks are buckling under skyrocketing demand, forced to ration supplies or limit visits, while some recipients, like LaTonya Gamble of Erie, Pennsylvania, face impossible choices between buying food or paying bills.
Gamble, a 50-year-old SNAP recipient, voiced the frustration of millions, saying, “When you’re in a position to provide for people who are depending on these life-sustaining services, how can you be at war with each other in the midst of people trying to survive?” Her words cut through the political noise—Washington’s bickering shouldn’t leave families hungry, yet here we are.
At a hearing on Thursday, the administration patted itself on the back, claiming partial benefits were released to states on Monday, but Judge McConnell wasn’t buying it, ordering them to tap into additional Section 32 funding meant for child nutrition programs to ensure full payments by Friday.
The judge didn’t mince words, stating, “The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur.” His ruling slams the administration for failing to prioritize the vulnerable over bureaucratic delays or political posturing—something conservatives should cheer as much as anyone, since protecting the needy isn’t a partisan issue.
Yet, the Trump administration isn’t taking this lying down, filing a notice to appeal the decision to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, signaling they’d rather fight in court than fully fund food assistance during a crisis.
Both sides of the aisle are pointing fingers—Democrats demand Republicans cave on health care provisions like Affordable Care Act tax credits to end the shutdown, while the administration insists Democrats could keep SNAP running by agreeing to a temporary funding measure through late November.
Meanwhile, families are skipping meals, and the White House dodges questions by redirecting inquiries to the Office of Management and Budget, which has stayed silent despite repeated outreach—a classic case of passing the buck while folks go hungry.
Let’s be clear: the progressive agenda often overreaches, but ensuring food for 42 million Americans isn’t a “woke” conspiracy—it’s basic decency, and the administration’s reluctance to fully fund SNAP without a court order raises eyebrows, even among those of us who back their broader fight against government overreach.
