By Michael Katz | Friday, 07 November 2025 09:23 PM EST
Some Americans began receiving this month’s food stamp benefits Friday, even as the Trump administration appealed a federal court ruling that mandated the restart of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Following a decision by U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr., an Obama appointee, ordering the government to resume SNAP payments by Friday, several states—including California, Oregon, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut—announced they would issue full benefits. Many recipients found funds already loaded onto their EBT cards for grocery purchases.
The Trump administration sought emergency intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court to block the release of SNAP payments for over 42 million Americans reliant on the program. This came after an appeals court rejected the government’s request to halt the orders requiring benefits.
SNAP funding expired a week prior as the government shutdown entered its second month, prompting food banks to increase donations. In his ruling, McConnell criticized the administration for earlier decisions to issue only partial payments, calling the approach “needless suffering” and suggesting delays were driven by “political reasons.”
The administration argued it lacked emergency funds due to the shutdown and claimed Congress must address funding gaps. Officials also warned that reallocating resources, as McConnell directed, would harm other child nutrition programs.
The Department of Agriculture stated Friday it would complete processes to release SNAP funds later in the day, following a $4 billion contingency fund tap earlier this week. However, some states faced challenges recalculating partial payments, a process critics said could take weeks.
An anti-hunger advocacy group praised the resolution of a “long, chaotic, and unnecessary delay,” accusing the Trump administration of failing to act until forced by court order.
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with over 30 years of experience covering news, culture, and politics.
