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Inside Ketanji Brown Jackson, SCOTUS' latest ruling on Trump admin's SNAP request
The Supreme Court and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sided with Trump admin on its latest SNAP request.
The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily sided with President Donald Trump's administration, halting a lower court order that required the government to pay full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing government shutdown. The decision will impact 42 million Americans, who are left uncertain about their next food payments.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the brief order, known as an administrative stay, granting the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals more time to consider the administration’s emergency appeal.
The move effectively pauses a ruling from US District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island, who had earlier demanded the administration release full SNAP payments using contingency and child nutrition funds.
“IT IS ORDERED that the District Court's orders are hereby administratively stayed pending disposition of the motion for a stay pending appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in case No. 25-2089 or further order of the undersigned or of the Court. This administrative stay will terminate forty-eight hours after the First Circuit's resolution of the pending motion, which the First Circuit is expected to issue,” Justice Jackson's ruling read.
Judge McConnell had rejected the administration’s argument that it could make only partial payments, calling its reasoning “implausible.” He noted that the funds reserved for child nutrition programs are projected to last until at least May, allowing Congress enough time to replenish them.
Read More: Did SNAP benefits stop? Will payments come in November 2025? Answering key questions
“Failing to tap into those funds to pay the full SNAP November food aid presents the very real and immediate risk of children being deprived of their food assistance today,” McConnell wrote.
In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the Justice Department contended that the funding lapse stems from a congressional impasse, not executive mismanagement.
“The core power of Congress is that of the purse, while the Executive is tasked with allocating limited resources across competing priorities,” the department argued. It warned that if courts intervene to redirect funds, it could trigger “a run on the bank by way of judicial fiat.”
The Boston-based 1st Circuit earlier on Friday declined to block McConnell’s order, but the Supreme Court’s late-night decision now freezes that ruling while the appeals process continues.
SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, assists low-income households earning below 130% of the federal poverty line. A single individual can receive up to $298 per month in food aid, according to federal guidelines.
(With AP inputs)
