Two federal judges on Friday directed the Trump administration to tap emergency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing to roughly 42 million people as the U.S. government shutdown entered its 31st day. One judge issued a temporary restraining order calling for immediate action; another gave the administration until Monday to decide whether to send at least partial payments.
The federal shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, reached Day 31 on Friday, putting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at risk of a first-ever suspension. In Boston, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said the administration has until Monday, November 3, to decide whether it will pay at least reduced SNAP benefits using emergency funds, declining to impose a temporary restraining order before funds ran out over the weekend. Her ruling came in a lawsuit brought by about two dozen Democratic-led states challenging the decision to halt the program, which serves about 1 in 8 U.S. residents and averages roughly $187 per participant per month.
In Rhode Island, U.S. District Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. reached a different result, granting a temporary restraining order and saying the administration must distribute aid from emergency reserves “as soon as possible.” He directed officials to file a compliance plan—or at least an update—by noon Monday, according to NPR reporting carried by WUSF and other public media affiliates. Both orders were issued Friday afternoon as states braced for missed November payments.
President Donald Trump responded on Truth Social that he had instructed government lawyers to seek court guidance on how to legally fund SNAP, writing that he did “NOT want Americans to go hungry” and that it would be his “HONOR” to provide the funding if courts allowed it. He also urged SNAP users to call Sen. Chuck Schumer’s Washington office to press for reopening the government. (The Daily Wire first highlighted the post and phone number.)
The administration has argued it lacks both sufficient money and legal authority to proceed during the lapse in appropriations. Judges and plaintiffs pointed to roughly $5–$6 billion in contingency funds and argued other pots of money may be available; but that sum still falls short of the roughly $8 billion typically needed for a full month of SNAP benefits. Even with court orders, officials and advocates warned payments could be delayed because many states had halted the normal process of loading funds to EBT cards.
The rulings unfolded against the broader political stalemate that triggered the shutdown. Senate Democrats have pushed to extend expiring Affordable Care Act premium subsidies as part of a deal to reopen the government, while Republicans have pressed for a clean continuing resolution. Outside Washington, travel groups and unions—most prominently the National Air Traffic Controllers Association—have urged an end to the impasse as staffing strains contributed to delays at major airports.
What happens next will hinge on how quickly the administration moves, whether partial payments are attempted, and whether appeals succeed. For now, courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have ordered the administration not to suspend SNAP and to use available emergency funds while legal and logistical details are worked out.