Hunger, shutdown, and the battle over America’s food lifeline

November 2, 2025

The United States has entered another month of its prolonged federal government shutdown, leaving millions of low-income families uncertain about the future of their food assistance. On Friday, two federal judges issued rulings ordering the Trump administration to continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.

The rulings, delivered almost simultaneously by US District Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts and US District Judge John J. McConnell in Rhode Island, directed the administration to use emergency or contingency funds to sustain the program. The decisions came as the shutdown, now in its fifth week, continued to paralyze federal operations and threaten essential services.

SNAP, the nation’s largest food assistance program, supports about 42 million Americans—roughly one in eight citizens. The program costs the federal government nearly $8 billion each month and provides electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that can be used to buy food in grocery stores, convenience outlets, and online. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), nearly three-quarters of SNAP households have gross monthly incomes at or below the poverty line. For a family of four in 2025, the annual income limit to qualify is approximately $31,000.

Judge Talwani ruled that the administration’s suspension of SNAP payments during the shutdown was unlawful. Her written decision stated that officials had wrongly concluded that contingency funds could not be used to continue payments. “Defendants are required to use those contingency funds as necessary for the SNAP program,” she wrote. The Massachusetts case was filed by 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, which argued that the government was obligated to use available emergency reserves to prevent hunger during the shutdown.

In Rhode Island, Judge McConnell issued a similar order in a case brought by municipalities, nonprofits, and labor groups. During a virtual hearing, he cited the severe human impact of halting food assistance, saying that “irreparable harm” would occur if the program stopped. McConnell instructed the administration to fund SNAP using available reserves and to provide an update on compliance by Monday.

The dispute centers on whether the USDA has legal authority to access contingency and reserve funds during a budget lapse. These funds, created by Congress to sustain key programs during emergencies, currently hold billions of dollars. Reports indicate that the USDA’s contingency fund for SNAP contains about $5 billion—enough to cover roughly 60 percent of a month’s benefits nationwide. Democratic attorneys general argued that an additional $23 billion from a separate reserve fund could also be used.

The administration maintained that Congress had not authorized using those funds during the shutdown. However, both judges rejected that claim, noting that similar measures had been taken in previous shutdowns to ensure continuity of assistance.

The funding crisis began when Congress failed to pass a new budget at the start of October, triggering the closure or reduced operation of federal agencies. By late October, the USDA announced it had exhausted regular funds and would halt SNAP payments beginning November 1. A statement on its website read, “Bottom line, the well has run dry.” The announcement drew immediate backlash from state officials, attorneys general, and anti-hunger advocates, who accused the administration of violating federal law and endangering vulnerable citizens.

In response to the court orders, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that his administration would seek clarification on how to comply legally. “Our government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available,” Trump wrote. “I do not want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and reopen the government.”

As the legal and political battle continues, uncertainty remains over how long emergency funding can sustain SNAP operations. Analysts say that unless Congress approves a new budget, the program could again face disruption once contingency funds are depleted.