The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s administrative stay of a lower court order for the Trump administration to immediately complete payment of full SNAP benefits for November.
The decision, despite Judge Jackson’s own objection, preserves the status quo as Congress appears poised to end the record-long government shutdown and fully fund SNAP for the fiscal year.
The court did not explain its decision.
Judge Jackson indicated that she would have rejected the Trump administration’s request and required it to immediately pay all November SNAP benefits while the action was pending at the Capitol.
Judge Jackson granted the stay Friday after the government asked that the order be stayed until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit could rule on the matter. Later on Sunday, the appeals court dismissed the administration’s appeal.
“Given the imminent and irreparable harm posed by these orders, which require the government to transfer approximately $4 billion by tonight, the Attorney General respectfully requests an immediate administrative stay of the orders pending resolution of this request,” Attorney General John Sauer wrote Friday in arguing for the stay.
A sign inside a convenience store reads “WE ACCEPT EBT” (Electronic Benefit Transfer), which will stop tomorrow, weeks after the continued US government shutdown, in Thornton, Colorado, on October 31, 2025.
Mark Makela/Reuters
The move came as U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Monday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a memorandum ordering states “undo” the broadcast of full SNAP benefits, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, told states to “immediately undo any action taken to issue full SNAP benefits by November 2025.”
The USDA initially told states on Friday that it was “working to implement full benefit issuances in November 2025” following an order from U.S. District Judge McConnell that the Trump administration fully fund SNAP. for the month of November.
The administration said it would partially fund SNAP with about $4.5 billion, but needed the remaining funds to support WIC programs that feed the children.
According to the USDA’s initial guidance, 20 states said they had begun the process of issuing full benefits in November.
“What you have now is confusion caused by the agency itself,” Judge Talwani said during a hearing Monday.
