The US Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration's request to extend a pause on a federal judge's ruling that would have required $4bn in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be distributed. The administrative stay, issued on Tuesday, keeps the funding freeze in place until midnight on Thursday, creating further uncertainty for the 42 million Americans who rely on food aid.
The Trump administration has insisted that the funds will only be released when Congress reaches a compromise to end the government shutdown. Solicitor General D John Sauer wrote in the administration's filing that "the only way to end this crisis – which the executive is adamant to end – is for Congress to reopen the government." The funding lapse, a first for the largest anti-hunger programme in the US, has caused chaos in states that issued benefits they believed were authorised before the Supreme Court's decision.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has directed states to "immediately undo" any aid already provided to low-income Americans for November 2025. Deputy Undersecretary Patrick Penn stated that "to the extent states sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorised." The USDA has threatened penalties for non-compliance, leaving states uncertain whether the federal government will reimburse funds already distributed.
A coalition of states has argued in a court filing that returning hundreds of millions of dollars would "risk catastrophic operational disruptions for the States, with a consequent cascade of harms for their residents." Several state officials have vowed to fight the orders. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said, "If President Trump wants to penalise states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court." Maryland Governor Wes Moore described the situation as "intentional chaos," noting four different measures of guidance in six days.
With only half of November's SNAP allotment issued, food banks and local agencies are under immense pressure. The approaching Thanksgiving holidays and school closures are expected to sharply increase demand. Stacy Smith, a government worker, told the Guardian: "It's hard to look someone in the face who's telling you they can't feed their family... We have community food banks, and we have food pantries, and they're already maxed out."
