Court Upholds the Right to Food Assistance, Demands Trump Administration to Use Emergency SNAP Funds
Washington, D.C. — Today, Voto Latino applauds the two federal court rulings to ensure the federal government continues funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the current government shutdown. In his decision, Judge John J. McConnell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island mandated the Trump administration to distribute SNAP benefits via emergency funds or other available resources. This affirms that nearly 42 million Americans, including nearly 10 million Latinos, should have access to food assistance that they rely on.
In a separate ruling, Judge Indira Talwani of the Massachusetts District Court ordered the Trump administration to decide by Monday whether to use emergency funds to partially continue SNAP benefits, and urged the USDA to use emergency funds to continue to sustain the program.
In response to this ruling, Voto Latino issued the following statement:
“No household in America should face hunger because of Republican’s political games or their inability to govern. For nearly ten million Latino households, SNAP is more than a government program, it’s a lifeline. When that lifeline is cut, it’s our young people, our elders, our working parents and caregivers who pay the price.
Today’s ruling is a critical step toward preventing people from going hungry, and it underscores a simple truth: access to food is not a privilege—it’s a human right. This decision should serve as a call to action for lawmakers to strengthen and protect programs like SNAP and to make food security a priority.
Voto Latino urges Republicans and the Trump administration to put politics aside and work together to end the shutdown, protect the health and stability of American families, and uphold their dignity. Every day the government remains closed, families face unnecessary hardship and uncertainty.”
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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered nearly two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.