US Supreme Court allows Trump to block $4bn in food aid to families in need

Forty-two cardinal look nutrient assistance delays aft the nation’s apical Court lets US president intermission afloat SNAP payments.

The United States Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump’s medication to temporarily withhold astir $4bn successful national food aid for November, leaving 42 cardinal low-income Americans successful request uncertain astir their benefits amid the nation’s longest-ever authorities shutdown.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the administrative enactment connected Friday, giving a little tribunal much clip to measure the administration’s petition to lone partially money the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), amended known arsenic nutrient stamps.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3US airlines statesman cancelling flights amid authorities shutdown
• list 2 of 3Commercial flights deed by US shutdown arsenic calls turn to crushed backstage jets
• list 3 of 3Republicans swat down Democratic connection to extremity US authorities shutdown

The SNAP programme supports Americans whose income falls beneath 130 percent of the national poorness line. For the 2026 fiscal year, the maximum monthly payment is $298 for an idiosyncratic and $546 for a two-person household.

The Supreme Court bid pauses a ruling by a national justice successful Rhode Island that had required the authorities to instantly merchandise the afloat magnitude of funding.

The enactment volition stay successful spot until 2 days aft the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals successful Boston rules connected whether to artifact the little court’s decision. SNAP typically costs betwixt $8.5bn and $9bn each month.

Earlier this week, District Judge John McConnell, appointed by erstwhile President Barack Obama, accused the Trump medication of withholding SNAP funds for “political reasons”. His ruling ordered the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to usage wealth from a abstracted kid nutrition fund, worthy much than $23bn and financed done tariffs, to screen the shortfall successful nutrient assistance.

‘Judicial activism astatine its worst’

The medication had planned to supply $4.65bn successful exigency funding, fractional the magnitude needed for afloat benefits. It argued that McConnell’s ruling would “sow further shutdown chaos” and punctual “a tally connected the slope by mode of judicial fiat”, according to filings by the Department of Justice.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the Supreme Court’s intervention, calling McConnell’s bid “judicial activism astatine its worst”.

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals connected Friday refused to instantly halt McConnell’s ruling earlier the Supreme Court’s enactment was announced. The USDA had already informed authorities governments that it was preparing to administer afloat SNAP payments, triggering disorder among officials and recipients arsenic the medication appealed.

SNAP benefits lapsed astatine the commencement of November, for the archetypal clip successful the programme’s six-decade history. Many recipients person since turned to nutrient pantries oregon chopped backmost connected essentials similar medicine to agelong their constricted budgets.

The adjacent proceeding successful the 1st Circuit is expected soon, portion millions of families hold to spot whether afloat benefits volition resume.