On Friday, a federal judge intervened to halt the Trump administration’s plan to suspend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as the weekend approached, due to the government shutdown. The judge directed the administration to utilize an emergency reserve fund before taking such drastic measures.

This reserve, amounting to approximately $5.25 billion, falls short of the $9 billion needed to fully sustain November’s SNAP benefits. However, the order from U.S. District Judge John McConnell ensures that more than 40 million Americans relying on this vital food assistance will not face an immediate cessation of benefits starting Saturday. The judge dismissed the administration’s claims that the emergency fund was solely for natural disasters like hurricanes.

Judge McConnell remarked during the hearing, “SNAP benefits have never been terminated until now.” He also pointed out that the U.S. government acknowledged the appropriate use of contingency funds during a shutdown, as evidenced in 2019.