Millions of Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table. During the current government shutdown, the Donald Trump administration tried to limit full benefit payments to 65%, but the courts have stepped in to fight for the most vulnerable.
A federal appeals court ruled late on Sunday that the government must fully fund SNAP benefits this month, rejecting the administration’s bid to withhold $4 billion amid the shutdown. Reuters reported that the ruling affects roughly 42 million low‑income Americans, many of whom were facing reduced or delayed help.
Earlier, a judge in Rhode Island had ordered full payments for November, pointing out that partial payments risked leaving some families with nothing at all, per AP News. In response, the administration had tried to push back by instructing states to “undo” any work to issue full pay-outs.
That move triggered fresh backlash. According to Reuters, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said:
“If President Trump wants to penalise states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court.”
🚨BREAKING: The First Circuit Court of Appeals has just ruled AGAINST Donald Trump’s efforts to stop November SNAP payments after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sent them the case. pic.twitter.com/FlXefqJGUP
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) November 10, 2025
The legal battle has left the program in limbo. Despite the appeals‑court ruling, a stay by Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Supreme Court of the United States paused enforcement of the full‑pay order while the higher court considers the issue, per Politico.
As a result, states were unsure what to do. Some had already issued full payments, while others held back
On the administration’s side, they seemed to shift the blame onto the Democrats. “No. The administration is fully complying with the court order,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“The recipients of these SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits need to understand it’s going to take some time to receive this money because the Democrats have forced the administration into a very untenable position.” According to Reuters Connect, Leavitt then added the best way to restore full benefits “is for Democrats to reopen the government.”
Meanwhile, the courts were explicit about how dire the situation is. One judge pointed out that withholding full SNAP benefits would cause “widespread harm” by “leaving tens of millions of Americans without food as winter approaches.”
On the ground, food banks are under pressure. When a federal safety‑net program hangs in the balance, the ripple effects get real fast.
Newsweek reported about a video that went viral showing the long, deep lines at a food bank in Cleveland. It underscored how much people rely on SNAP and how they will even stand in the rain to get fed. longer lines, deeper anxiety, and residents scrambling for help.
#FoodStamp #snap program cuts overwhelmed #Tremont’s Saint Augustine Hunger Center on Friday, leaving a long, unmoving line of neighbors and their children in 47° temps and sometimes driving rain. pic.twitter.com/knZS8vMsRV
— The Tremonster (@TheTremonster) November 7, 2025
Ironically, during a shutdown, government services for the poorest can become bargaining chips. But if the benefits are kept fully blocked until shutdown ends, many families could face another month of food insecurity.
States may be caught between issuing full payments and risking penalties. Congress may need to act to end the shutdown or pass emergency funding.
But for now, SNAP recipients may breathe a little easier thanks to the court ruling. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward stated, “The court’s ruling protects millions of families, seniors, and veterans from being used as leverage in a political fight and upholds the principle that no one in America should go hungry.”
