The Trump administration informed states on Friday that it is working to comply with a federal court order to pay full November food stamp benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown, based on a memo obtained by Politico.
The memo was released just hours after President Donald Trump appealed the court ruling, which leaves the administration's next steps in court uncertain even as it attempts to follow the judge’s directive.
In the document sent to state agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated that it would “complete the processes necessary” to make funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) available later in the day. Nearly 42 million Americans depend on SNAP, which ran out of funding on November 1.
Politico reported that the memo was distributed nationwide and indicated that the USDA plans to comply with the court’s order — at least for now — despite the administration’s request for a legal stay. A department spokesperson confirmed that the memo went out to all states but did not clarify its implications for the administration’s next steps in court.
Earlier on Friday, Reuters reported that Justice Department lawyers filed an emergency appeal with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking to block a lower court’s ruling requiring USDA to restore full SNAP payments. The government argued that U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.’s decision was legally flawed and likely to be overturned. DOJ lawyers claimed the court overstepped its authority by effectively ordering the executive branch to spend funds that Congress has not approved.
The Associated Press noted that Judge McConnell’s order, issued Thursday in Providence, instructed USDA to find the money needed to ensure all SNAP recipients receive full benefits by Friday. McConnell stated that the hardship facing millions of low-income households outweighed the administration’s claims about budget issues.
For weeks, USDA officials indicated they could only use a limited $4.6 billion contingency reserve to pay partial SNAP benefits during the shutdown. The department maintained that a separate pool of funds — sufficient to cover full payments — could not be legally accessed without congressional approval.
However, by Friday morning, the agency seemed to change its stance. In the memo obtained by Politico, USDA stated it would “complete the processes necessary” to make full funding available, showing at least temporary compliance with the court’s order. Still, it did not provide a timeline for when payments would reach recipients or if states would be reimbursed for advancing their own funds.
The AP highlighted that the USDA's previous filings warned that depleting the contingency fund would leave no resources for new SNAP applicants or disaster aid. After McConnell’s ruling, the department said it was taking “immediate steps” to make full payments possible.
Anti-hunger advocates praised the judge’s order and urged the administration to withdraw its appeal. Advocacy groups told Reuters that the case reveals how political gridlock can disrupt food assistance that millions rely on. One organization described the situation as “a man-made crisis that shouldn’t exist in the richest nation on Earth.”
As of Friday night, the Justice Department’s appeal was still pending, and it was unclear whether the 1st Circuit would allow full payments to proceed. Meanwhile, states were preparing to load benefits to recipients’ accounts as soon as the USDA funds arrive — hoping the legal battle does not interrupt them again.
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