Judges Order Trump To Continue SNAP Benefits: What It Means For MN

Two federal judges ruled on Friday that the Trump Administration must continue to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for Americans.

The ruling requires Trump to tap into the $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the food aid program going, funds the administration recently announced it would not use.

The two judges, from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, gave the administration some say in whether the program will be partially or fully funded in November, but SNAP benefits will go out one way or the other.

SNAP benefits were set to pause on Saturday, after the Department of Agriculture issued a statement saying “the well has run dry.”

It was not made immediately clear when the EBT cards, the debit cards that those enrolled in SNAP use to buy groceries, will be reloaded.

Earlier this week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced $4 million in new funding for Minnesota food shelves to provide relief as 440,000 Minnesotans face the loss of SNAP and Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) grocery benefits.

Nationally, more than 62 percent of nearly 41.7 million SNAP participants are in families with children; 37 percent are in families with members who are older adults or disabled; and more than 38 percent are in working families, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Resources for Minnesotans in food emergencies

• If you need food right away, find nearby food shelves at hungersolutions.org.
• Find more here.

The Associated Press and Sarah Salvadore contributed reporting.