US Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Continue Pause on $4 Billion in Food Aid

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, millions of Americans facing food insecurity are confronting additional uncertainty this week after the US Supreme Court granted the Trump administration permission to keep withholding funds for food stamps.

In an administrative stay issued Tuesday, the nation’s highest court approved the administration’s request to extend a pause on a federal judge’s ruling that would have required $4 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the food assistance program relied upon by 42 million Americans—to be distributed. The temporary freeze has been extended for two more days, now set to remain in effect until Thursday at midnight.

As the House prepares to vote Wednesday on a measure that could end the longest government shutdown in US history, the administration has dug in its heels on fully funding the vital program, maintaining that the funds will only be released once Congress reaches a compromise.

“The only way to end this crisis—which the executive is determined to resolve—is for Congress to reopen the government,” wrote Solicitor General D. John Sauer in the Trump administration’s filing.

Although SNAP benefits are federally funded, they are administered by state and local governments. The funding disruption, a first for the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, has caused chaos in states that had already distributed benefits they believed were authorized before the Supreme Court’s decision.

On Sunday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) instructed states to “immediately undo” aid already provided to low-income Americans. It remains uncertain whether funds already distributed will be reimbursed by the federal government, which is facing strained resources.

“To the extent states sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” wrote Patrick Penn, Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture, in a letter to state SNAP directors Saturday. “Accordingly, states must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”

The back-and-forth has created widespread confusion as the USDA threatened penalties for noncompliance. In filings with the First Circuit Court of Appeals, a coalition of states warned that returning hundreds of millions of dollars would “risk catastrophic operational disruptions for the states, with a cascade of harms for residents.” Several state officials have vowed to challenge the order.

“If President Trump wants to penalize states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court,” said Maura Healey, Democratic Governor of Massachusetts. “There is chaos, and it is intentional chaos, from this administration,” added Maryland Governor Wes Moore in a CBS interview, noting four different guidance measures in just six days.

Meanwhile, Americans who rely on the aid are facing mounting instability. With only half of November’s SNAP allotments issued, food banks and local agencies are struggling to keep up with demand. With the Thanksgiving holidays approaching and schools closing, the pressure is expected to rise sharply if funds are not restored soon.

“It’s hard to face someone who tells you they can’t feed their family and try to guide them to other ways to get food for their household,” said Stacy Smith, a government worker, speaking to the Guardian. “Our community food banks and pantries are already at capacity.”