November shutdown
In October 2025, it was announced that November's SNAP payments would not be disbursed as a consequence of the 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown, affecting 42 million Americans. [10] Food banks in Florida, [11] Arizona, [12] and North Carolina [13] reported having to turn patrons away just before SNAP was put on hiatus. [14]
However, two federal judges—Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island and Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts [15] ruled on October 31, 2025, that the Trump Administration must fund food stamps during November. [16]
As of Saturday, November 1, however, even as new restrictions had been promulgated [17] (part and parcel of the Big Beautiful Bill), [18] funding was still not forthcoming. [17]
Presentations were made to both judges (in response to their orders to detail the procedures to be enacted) by attorneys from the Trump administration by Noon [19] (EST) Monday, November 3. [20] [21] Judge John McConnell heard from Patrick Penn, who oversees the SNAP program at the Department of Agriculture, that there were "procedural difficulties" which would take some states weeks or even months to overcome. The upshot was that SNAP would be partially emergency funded through November by 50%, [22] with food banks expecting an increase in patronage for the first week and grocery stores a decrease. [15] (The funding was later increased to 65%.) [23]
On Thursday, November 6, Judge McConnell in light of a Truth Social post by President Trump [24] that SNAP would not be resumed until the government shutdown itself ended, [25] orally ordered the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP on the next day, Friday, November 7. [26] [27] The administration immediately appealed. [28] [29] [30]
On Friday, 7 November, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a memo [31] that it would fully fund SNAP. The status of the appeal was unclear. [32] [33] Minnesota announced that its SNAP recipients would receive their full funding within days (some as soon as the weekend). [34] Wisconsin reported that some recipients were fully funded overnight. [35] Hawaii was also fully funded. [36] (Each state sets its own options for SNAP disbursements according to its needs.) [37] California, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington state soon followed suit; [38] Colorado and Massachusetts were only able to serve a portion of their citizenry due to timing issues. [39]
The Trump administration in its brief for an emergency stay to the Supreme Court noted that “there is no ready mechanism for the [federal] government to recover those funds” that have already been distributed, [39] and characterized the order as "a mockery of the separation of powers". [40] Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued an administrative stay, [41] [42] thus giving the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals time to rule on the administration's request to partially fund SNAP. [43] Her order remains in place until 48 hours after the appeals court rules. [44]
On Saturday, 9 November, in a memo following the emergency stay, the USDA told those states which had disbursed SNAP funds in full (or were planning to do so) that they would have to immediately take back those funds from any recipients and reverse such plans, [45] only partial funding having had been authorized. "Failure to comply with this memorandum may result in USDA taking various actions, including cancellation of the Federal share of state administrative costs and holding states liable for any overissuances that result from the noncompliance," the guidance threatened. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey threatened legal action. [46] [47] [48] Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers wrote on X that his response was a simple "no". [49]
On Sunday, 10 November, the Senate passed a procedural measure towards ending the shutdown, the attempted USDA claw-back of the full disbursement of SNAP funds by some states having added to the pressure. [50] With a provision to extend SNAP until October 2026, [51] it awaits a eventual vote in the House once the House reopens. [52]
On Monday, 11 November, the Supreme Court extended its stay, continuing to block full SNAP payments. [53] [54]
On Thursday, 13 November following the end of the government shutdown, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said that benefits would be reinstated in full by Monday. (She noted however that "it is the 50 states and 50 different infrastructures that move that money out".) [55] [56] Federally, the SNAP shutdown was over, [57] and the court cases moot. [58]
