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Federal judges order Trump administration to fund SNAP as CalFresh benefits expire
Two federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration must use emergency funds to continue SNAP benefits as California’s CalFresh program faces a potential shortfall on November 1.
OAKLAND, Calif. - California was one of 25 states suing the Trump administration to restore funding for SNAP, known as CalFresh in the state.
More than 5 million Californians, including 2 million children, depend on the program.
With the November 1 deadline approaching and the government shutdown entering its second month, Bay Area food banks have been stepping up to help the half a million people in the region who rely on those benefits.
On Friday, two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must use emergency funds to keep SNAP benefits going. Funding for the program, used by one in eight Americans, was set to run out November 1.
What they're saying:
"So while there may be a gap, we don't even know what that gap may be, maybe hours, maybe days, we will take care of our own. And I am going back to D.C. to send the message back that in the East Bay and California's 12th district, we have a tapestry committed to ensuring that our families are going to be okay," Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland, said at a Friday press conference.
"Right now, we are mobilizing our network. We're purchasing a ton of food to come into the community so we can get those out into our communities throughout Alameda County," said Regi Young, executive director of the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
The judges requested an update from the administration by Monday.
President Trump, meanwhile, blamed "radical Democrats" for refusing to reopen the government and said his administration would comply with the court rulings but needed clarity first, posting on Truth Social, "even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out."
"In a way, it's just second-guessing the judges right? What the President said is, we don't think we have this power. Well, these two judges have said, Yes, you do, at least on an emergency basis, the way these orders are written... These two judges independently, both said, you do have the power so for the administration to now say, Oh, we don't know what it means, is kind of unusual," said David Levine of UC Law San Francisco.
The group Parent Voices Oakland, which advocates for affordable child care, said the court rulings brought relief but left families facing uncertainty.
"It's so much precarity. You know, even if this ruling does have a positive impact, it's like even just knowing the stress of knowing that your benefits may not be there next month. You know, as a parent, to think that your child is going to go hungry is a really just an evil form of suffering," said Annie Banks, coalition and community partnerships organizer at Parent Voices Oakland.
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Banks added that their group also runs a food pantry, which families are welcome to visit.
It remains unclear when CalFresh debit cards will be reloaded, so beneficiaries can purchase groceries. The process typically takes one to two weeks.
The SNAP program costs roughly $8 billion per month nationally, with emergency funds covering about $5 billion.