On October 31, 2025, a federal court granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful effort to cut off Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds during the ongoing government shutdown. The decision ensures that millions of children, seniors, veterans, and families will continue to receive essential food assistance while the case proceeds.
The ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island comes after a nationwide coalition of local governments, charitable, legal, and faith-based nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and workers’ rights organizations filed suit against the administration’s decision to suspend the program and terminate work requirement waivers in areas with few jobs. The court found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claims that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acted without lawful authority in refusing to use available funds to sustain SNAP. It also found that the abrupt cancellation of long-standing work-requirement waivers in areas with persistent unemployment, which was done without notice, justification, or statutory authority, is unlawful.
