26 States Sue To Protect November SNAP Benefits Amid Shutdown

The Trump administration planned to suspend November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to a government shutdown, affecting over 40 million Americans who rely on food aid. In response, 26 states and Washington D.C. filed a federal lawsuit demanding the USDA use its $6 billion contingency fund to continue issuing benefits, arguing the refusal violates the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled that the administration must fund SNAP during the shutdown, but left some discretion on whether to fund fully or partially, creating uncertainty about timing and scale of payments. States like Kentucky declared emergencies and allocated state funds to support food banks amidst the freeze, while others took similar steps to mitigate potential hardship. Analysis reveals that entire regions, including the Deep South, Appalachia, Native American reservations, and urban poverty zones, face acute risk from delayed or reduced SNAP benefits. Despite court orders, the Trump administration's response remains uncertain, prolonging stress on vulnerable households during the funding lapse.