A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to make a payment to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the month of November by tomorrow. 

“People have gone without for too long, not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable,” said U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr.  

Judge McConnell directly rebuked President Donald Trump for stating “his intent to defy” a court order by saying earlier this week that SNAP will not be funded until the government reopens from the ongoing government shutdown. 

“In fact, the day before the compliance was ordered, the president stated his intent to defy the court order when he said, ‘SNAP payments will be given only when the government opens,'” the judge said. 

Judge McConnell criticized the Trump administration for only making a partial payment when it had additional emergency funds and knew the payments would not be delivered in time to comply with his court order. 

“Without SNAP funding for the month of November, 16 million children are immediately at risk of going hungry,” said Judge McConnell. “Children are immediately at risk of going hungry. This should never happen in America.”