Judges Tell Trump Administration It Can’t Withhold Food Benefits

A federal judge on Friday said the Trump administration is wrong to withhold food benefits next month and gave the government till Monday to decide how it would pay.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has claimed it can’t pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in November because of the government shutdown, but Democratic states sued, arguing the government could use an emergency fund to pay at least partial benefits.

Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said the Trump administration “erred in concluding that USDA is statutorily prohibited from using the contingency reserve to fund SNAP benefits during the pendency of the lapse in appropriations.”

Talwani stopped short of granting Democrats’ request for a restraining order, saying it remained “under advisement,” but said the USDA had until Monday “to consider whether they will authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.