A federal judge in Rhode Island has temporarily ordered the Trump administration to continue funding SNAP benefits, the Federally funded supplemental nutrition assistance program.
“The court is orally ordering at this time that USDA must distribute the contingency money in a timely manner, or as soon as possible, for the November 1 payments to be made,” said U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr.
After an hour-long emergency hearing, Judge McConnell ruled that the suspension of SNAP funding is arbitrary and will likely cause irreparable harm, citing the “terror” felt by Americans struggling to meet their basic nutritional needs.
“There is no doubt, and it is beyond dispute, that irreparable harm will begin to occur – if it has not already occurred – in the terror that has been caused to some people by the availability of funds for food for their family,” he said.
The ruling came as a federal judge in Boston, in a separate case, ruled that the Trump administration’s attempt to stop SNAP funding is “unlawful” but declined to immediately order funding for the program.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani reserved judgment on whether to issue a temporary restraining order and instead asked the Trump administration to inform the court whether they would authorize reduced SNAP benefits for November.
House Speaker Mike Johnson joins Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins at a press conference to discuss SNAP food aid benefits on Day 31 of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 31, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
He ordered the Trump administration to respond to his question about reducing SNAP funds by Monday.
“For the reasons set forth below, plaintiffs have standing to bring this action and are likely to succeed in their claim that defendants’ suspension of SNAP benefits is unlawful,” he wrote.
““Where that suspension of benefits was based on a misinterpretation of relevant statutory provisions, the court will allow defendants to consider whether to authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November and report to the court no later than Monday, November 3, 2025,” the judge said.
