NATIONAL — Two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must use billions of dollars in emergency funds to cover the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Both federal judges ruled against the claim that funds set aside by the U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency fund could not be used to cover the program.
The contingency fund currently holds approximately $5 billion.
Judge Indira Talwani of Boston, Massachusetts, was one of the judges who heard the case.
Judge Talwani called the administration’s attempt to freeze millions of dollars of SNAP as “unlawful.”
Judge John J. McConnell was the other judge who ruled against the SNAP cut-off in Providence, Rhode Island.
The ruling came on Friday, a day before the Nov. 1 cutoff for millions of people who rely on SNAP to supplement their food costs.
The funds were being halted because of the government shutdown.
The cuts have forced many of the federal program recipients to look for other supplemental food options such as food banks.
However, this ruling doesn’t mean SNAP recipients will receive the funds on Nov. 1.
Judge Talwani and Judge McConnell have asked that the administration update them on the process for utilizing the contingency fund for SNAP by Monday, Nov. 3.
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