Supreme Court Plea Amid SNAP Funding Crisis

The Trump administration on Friday urgently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a judge's order compelling it to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for 42 million low-income Americans this month. This request comes amid a continuing federal government shutdown.

A U.S. District Judge in Rhode Island mandated the Department of Agriculture to find a $4 billion funding shortfall by Friday, to be sourced from a separate department program related to tariffs. This decision follows a preliminary $4.65 billion emergency funding attempt by the administration.

Despite legal challenges and appeals by the administration to stop the order, states including New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are preparing to distribute SNAP benefits in full for November, while food pantries report increased demand from affected families.