U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani dismissed the USDA’s claims that it is “statutory prohibited” from using the contingency funds to continue SNAP as it had not passed new appropriations.

A federal judge says the Trump administration has until "no later than Monday" to consider whether to pay at least partial SNAP food benefits to 42 million low-income people.

The judge sided with the states in the order granted Oct. 31, saying, "As a matter of law... (the Trump administration) erred in concluding that USDA is statutorily prohibited from using the continge...