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

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.

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.

On a state level, more than 827,000 New Jerseyans rely on SNAP benefits.

Senator Corey Booker has been outwardly against the halt of SNAP benefits, calling it a "weaponization of food."

Prior to the judges' ruling, Governor Phil Murphy set aside $42.5 million in food and hunger grants to help fund New Jersey food assistance programs.

On Friday, Murphy signed an executive order a Task Force on the Federal Suspension of SNAP Benefits in response to the "food insecurity crisis caused by the federal government shutdown and the unprecedented suspension of SNAP benefits."

“The Trump Administration’s decision to suspend SNAP funding as the government shutdown drags on is both unethical and illegal. It will have a disastrous impact on hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans who will go hungry without their benefits, and our most vulnerable communities – including our children, seniors, and residents with disabilities – will be hit the hardest,” said Murphy. “While I am continuing to call on President Trump and Washington Republicans for a swift resolution to this entirely avoidable food insecurity crisis, today’s Executive Order ensures New Jersey is mobilizing to mitigate harm to our residents.”

The ruling comes after New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin joined 21 other attorneys general and three governors in suing the Department of Agriculture for unlawfully suspending SNAP funding.

“New Jersey families are being used as political pawns by the Trump Administration, which is illegally suspending SNAP and the critical assistance it provides to residents who are struggling with food insecurity,” said Platkin. “This is especially devastating in the month of November, when families are gathering and demands on food banks and pantries are heaviest. We are standing up for families across our state and fighting to ensure that they continue to have access to food for their households. Our coalition is suing the Administration to stop this clear attempt at subverting the authority of Congress and the extreme harms that it would cause in New Jersey.”

The Associated Press and Sarah Salvadore contributed reporting.