US courts rule Trump cannot suspend food aid during government shutdown

Federal judges have dealt a setback to President Donald Trump's plans to suspend food assistance to low-income individuals as the US government shutdown enters its 31st day. The decisions were made within minutes of each other and both pertain to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

Approximately 42 million people in the United States, or one in eight citizens, rely on SNAP for food assistance. However, Trump's administration has claimed that, since Congress failed to pass a budget bill in September, it can no longer fund the program and cannot use contingency funds to make up the shortfall.

However, two federal judges have ruled against this claim. In Boston, US District Judge Indira Talwani stated that suspending SNAP payments entirely was "unlawful" and ordered Trump's administration to address how it could fund the program at least partially by Monday. She also determined that using contingency funds to pay for SNAP was permissible, citing the government's prior actions.

Similarly, Rhode Island US District Judge John McConnell came to a similar conclusion, stating that there was no doubt that irreparable harm would occur if funding for food assistance continued to be suspended. Both judges emphasized the importance of continuing SNAP funding and requested updates from the administration on Monday.

Trump responded by claiming that accessing contingency funds was not legal and instructing his lawyers to ask the court to clarify how they could legally fund SNAP as soon as possible. This marks a departure from previous statements, which indicated that the government would use emergency funds to maintain benefits if Congress failed to pass a funding bill.

Critics argue that Trump's actions are an attempt to use food aid as leverage against Democrats and point out that prior statements suggested using contingency funds in such situations. The USDA has allocated at least $5.25 billion in contingency funds, which can be used to continue disbursing benefits.

The shutdown continues to drag on, with Democrats seeking to ensure healthcare concerns are addressed in the legislation, while Republicans refuse to negotiate until a continuing resolution is passed, keeping federal spending at its current level.

I don't think Trump's plan to suspend food assistance for low-income individuals was ever a good idea . I mean, 42 million people rely on SNAP and without it, families would be struggling even more to put food on the table. And now these judges are basically saying that suspending payments entirely is unlawful? Like, duh! We've seen this before with other contingency funds being used in emergencies.

I also don't get why Trump's administration thought they could just stop SNAP funding without a plan B . I mean, come on, we have $5.25 billion set aside for emergency situations like this. And now these judges are ordering them to update their plans by Monday? It's about time someone held the admin accountable!

But seriously, this whole shutdown thing is just a mess . We need to get back to some sort of normalcy here and figure out how to pass a budget bill that works for everyone. Can't we all just agree on something?

this is crazy trump thinks he can just shut down food assistance for 42 million ppl and then wonder why ppl get mad it's not like he's trying to solve a budget problem he's using people's basic needs as a bargaining chip and that's just wrong

i mean come on, $5.25 billion in contingency funds ️ can't we use some of that to keep ppl fed? it's not rocket science but apparently it is for trump's team and now we got two judges saying no way José gotta fund SNAP at least partially

This is just another example of Trump's chaotic leadership style . He can't even be bothered to figure out how to fund SNAP without making it a big deal and trying to use it as leverage against the Democrats . I mean, come on, $5.25 billion in contingency funds? It's not like we're talking about a lot of money here .

And what's with these judges being all over the place? One says it's unlawful to suspend SNAP payments, and another says it's okay to use contingency funds . Can't Trump just make up his mind already? It's like he's trying to create more problems than he needs to solve .

And let's not forget that the shutdown is now entering its 31st day . This is what happens when you have a President who can't even manage a simple government shutdown . The Democrats are right to be holding him accountable, and it's about time someone was putting pressure on him to get things done .

I'm low-key disappointed that these judges finally stepped in... I mean, it's about time, right? The whole situation with Trump trying to cut off SNAP is just messed up. Like, who thinks food assistance should be a bargaining chip in a shutdown? It's not like he needs to do this, Congress is already gridlocked... I'm guessing his admin is trying to pull some kind of stunt here. And now the USDA has all that contingency fund money just sitting around, waiting for someone to use it... it's just a waste of resources if you ask me.

I'm so frustrated about this food assistance thing... like, can't we all just work together already? The fact that 42 million ppl are counting on this program is just crazy... I mean, imagine if you were struggling to make ends meet and then your food benefits get suspended because of some politics thingy... it's just not right. And now these judges are all like "nope, can't do that" so we gotta keep waiting for our representatives to figure stuff out. It's like, I get it, the government shutdown is a big deal, but come on! Can't we prioritize people's basic needs over politics?

Ugh I'm so frustrated about this ! Like, come on Trump stop using food assistance as bargaining chips! It's not right that 42 million people are already struggling and now they're gonna lose their SNAP benefits because of your drama . And yeah two judges said it's unlawful to just suspend the program entirely, but like what's going to happen if you keep dragging this out?

I'm all for addressing healthcare concerns, but let's not forget that food assistance is a basic human right too! The USDA has got contingency funds for this, so like use them already?! It's crazy how politicians always try to use their power to manipulate people's needs. Can't they just put the country first for once?

I just feel so bad for all those ppl who r struggling 2 afford food it's like, we should b helpin each other out more ya know? And now this admin is tryna cut off their lifeline . Judges are doin the right thing by sayin SNAP funding cant just b suspended . It's not fair 2 those families who r already strugglin. I hope the administration listens & finds a way 2 keep those ppl fed

Umm so like i was reading this news and i was thinking Trump's trying to use SNAP as leverage against Democrats? Like how messed up is that? I've been low-key struggling with food insecurity myself when I was a student and it's like the last thing you need is someone trying to take away your food benefits. And now 42 million people are affected? That's just heartbreaking

I'm also kinda surprised Trump's admin thought they could get away with this. Like, didn't they know that would be seen as super unreasonable? The fact that they claimed it was "unlawful" and then tried to claim otherwise is just so extra. And can we talk about how the USDA allocated $5.25 billion in contingency funds for a reason? Like what's Trump's admin even doing with all that money?

And honestly, I'm kinda glad the judges ruled against it. It's not right to be held hostage over something like food assistance. Can't we just have access to basic necessities without having to negotiate our lives over it?

idk why trump thinks he can just play food assistance hostage like this. newsflash: you can't just suspend benefits for 42 million ppl and expect everyone to magically figure out what's up next . the judiciary is there to stop that kinda nonsense, and these judges are totally right on it . it's not like they're giving him a free pass or anything... but seriously, who thought using food aid as leverage was a good idea? this whole shutdown thing is just a mess, and trump's actions aren't helping to resolve the issue . maybe if he actually worked with congress instead of trying to strong-arm them, we'd have something done by now .

I'm not surprised about this latest development. Trump's plan to suspend food assistance was always a pretty thin argument . It just goes to show that when you're trying to use politics as leverage, you need a solid reason and he didn't have one .

What's really interesting is how the Democrats are taking advantage of this situation to push their healthcare agenda . I mean, if they can get food assistance on the table, maybe they can get something done about that healthcare bill . But at the same time, it's also raising questions about Trump's credibility and whether he's just trying to score points with his base .

One thing's for sure: this shutdown is going to keep on dragging on until someone makes a move . The question is, what will that be? Will Congress come together or will the shutdown drag on even longer? Only time will tell .

I'm getting so worried about all these low-income families struggling to put food on the table . Trump's plan to cut SNAP benefits is not only cruel but also completely unrealistic. I mean, come on, $5.25 billion in contingency funds? That's a whole lot of money that could be helping people who really need it. And what's with this "leverage" nonsense? Shouldn't we be using our resources to help those in need, not using them as bargaining chips for politicians? I just hope these judges can figure out how to get some sense into the Trump administration soon!

Ugh, this shutdown is getting so out of hand ! I mean, who thought it was okay to just not fund programs that people need? Like, 42 million people can't afford food, and you're gonna leave them hanging ? It's not like they're asking for the moon here. And Trump's trying to use contingency funds as an excuse? Come on! We already know he's been using emergency funds before, so this is just a weak attempt to save face .

And can we talk about how the USDA has like $5.25 billion in contingency funds just waiting to be used? It's not rocket science, folks! We can fund SNAP without having to pass a whole new bill . I'm so tired of politicians playing games and making up excuses for not doing their jobs . The people who need help are suffering because of this shutdown, and it's just heartbreaking .

omg i just saw this news and it's crazy how trump's trying to use food aid as leverage against dems... like what even is that?! i mean i get it, he wants to negotiate but come on, people are relying on snap for food, it's not just a bargaining chip . it's actually kind of heartbreaking to think about all those ppl who can't eat because trump's being stubborn . judges were right tho, suspending payments entirely is unlawful and using contingency funds is super important . we need to get fed, fam!

Man, this is getting ridiculous! I mean, who tries to use food aid as leverage? It's not like Congress isn't already playing politics with everything... Anyway, I'm so glad those judges stepped in and said no way, Trump can't just pull the plug on SNAP. Like, what even is the point of having a government if you're gonna shut down essential programs over ideology? And $5.25 billion in contingency funds? Come on, that's like throwing money out the window... But seriously, 42 million people counting on this program? It's crazy they have to be at risk like this because of partisan bickering.

omg what's going on like can't we just have some food assistance for those who need it most?! but i guess even in crisis situations there's hope these two judges are literally saving the day by ruling against trump's plan to suspend snap payments entirely. 42 million people rely on this program and now they're one step closer to getting their benefits back it's not perfect, but at least we know that contingency funds can be used to help fund it. let's keep our fingers crossed that the shutdown ends soon and everyone gets what they need

man this is crazy ... Trump's trying to shut down food assistance for millions of people and two judges just said nope , it's not that simple. I get that the gov't shutdown is a big deal, but suspending SNAP payments entirely? that's just cruel . These judges are right, using contingency funds wasn't always off the table, Trump's trying to use food aid as leverage against Democrats and it's not cool . 42 million people rely on this program, can you even imagine if they didn't have access to food because of politics? ... something's gotta give here .

man this whole thing is crazy I mean think about it, 42 million people relying on food assistance and Trump's admin trying to just cut them off? that's not right at all it's like they're playing with people's lives here. I'm glad those judges stepped in and said no way, we can't do this to our most vulnerable citizens. I don't get why the government can't just use some of that $5.25 billion contingency fund to keep SNAP going it's not rocket science.

and honestly, if Trump's trying to hold food assistance hostage as leverage against Democrats, that's just a bad move it's gonna backfire big time. I mean, who do we think is gonna win in the long run? The people or the politicians? anyway, fingers crossed those judges' rulings stick and Trump can't find a way to screw this up even more

OMG, I'm literally shaking thinking about how 42 MILLION ppl are affected by this ! Did you know that SNAP benefits help over 1 in 8 US citizens? It's not just food on the table, it's a matter of dignity and survival for many families . I've been seeing stats that say 70% of SNAP recipients live below the poverty line , so this isn't just about politics – it's about people's lives.

And can we talk about how much money is at stake here? $5.25 BILLION in contingency funds is NOT CHUMP CHANGE ! I'm seeing charts that show a 40% increase in food insecurity among low-income households since the shutdown started . It's like, hello, our government has been giving us hints about how to use these emergency funds for years .

I know both parties are fighting over their ideologies, but let's not forget that there are REAL PEOPLE on the line here . I'm calling on all of us to demand more from our leaders and make sure that everyone has access to basic necessities like food and healthcare

omg have you tried those new avocados at the store?? i mean i know they're all over instagram and everyone's talking about how they're "ripe for the picking" but honestly i think they're just kinda...meh. i had one the other day and it was just a bit too mushy for my taste anyone else tried them?