Dispute over food stamps Court attacks austerity measures - now it's getting dangerous for Trump
A court is taking a stand against Trump's austerity measures: despite the shutdown, food aid for millions of Americans must not be stopped. The judge demands that the government quickly find ways to continue the payments.
01.11.2025, 07:03
01.11.2025, 11:23
SDA
Millions of Americans can now regain hope after the threatened discontinuation of their food aid due to the shutdown. A federal judge in Massachusetts wrote in an order that such a suspension of the program by the US government was unlawful.
Billions in reserves that had previously been built up specifically for emergencies would have to be used. It ordered the government to inform the court by Monday whether it would approve at least reduced benefits for November.
Dangerous for Trump
The Department of Agriculture had announced that support could no longer be paid from today due to the shutdown.
Congress must pass a new budget or transition budget. However, the fronts between Democrats and Republicans have hardened. The shutdown has been running since October 1, bringing government business to a partial standstill. No fresh money is flowing.
The dispute has reached a sensitive point for US President Donald Trump. Because with the restrictions, more and more Americans would feel the consequences of the shutdown in their everyday lives, regardless of whether they are government employees or not. The consequences would be felt in daily meals - at the kitchen table.
Food program since 1964
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) provides financial assistance to lower-income households to purchase food. This assistance has been in place since 1964 and, according to the court document, amounts to around 8.2 billion euros per month, which the program currently provides to around 42 million Americans, according to government figures. The benefits are booked onto payment cards, which can then be used to make purchases at the grocery store.
Trump made it clear that there would be delays in the payment of the money by the states even if immediate instructions were received now. According to US media, it remained unclear when in November the aid could be paid out to recipients.
Courts are dealing with the case
The case continues to be heard by the federal court in Massachusetts, and the preliminary injunction requested by the states is still being processed. Of the more than 20 federal states, it was primarily those with Democratic governors that had filed suit. There are a few states with Republican governors, including Vermont and Nevada. The judge assumes that the plaintiffs will be successful in the main proceedings against the US government.
US media reported that only shortly after the ruling, another federal judge in Rhode Island came to a similar conclusion in an oral ruling and deemed the suspension of food aid to be unlawful.
Trump holds out the prospect of payment
After the two judges' statements on the Truth Social platform became known, Trump attempted a kind of roll forward. The government lawyers do not believe that they have the authority to pay for the Snap program with certain money that is available to the government. However, he has instructed them to ask the court to clarify as quickly as possible how Snap can be legally financed.
