This is a developing story and will be updated.
Updated 3:52 p.m., Oct. 31, 2025
Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to fund SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using contingency funds during the government shutdown.
The rulings came a day before the U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown.
The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. Word in October that it would be a Nov. 1 casualty of the shutdown sent states, food banks and SNAP recipients scrambling to figure out how to secure food. Some states said they would spend their own funds to keep versions of the program going.
It wasn’t immediately clear how quickly the debit cards that beneficiaries use to buy groceries could be reloaded after the ruling. That process often takes one to two weeks.
Around 330,000 households in Colorado are enrolled in SNAP, totaling $120 million in federal payments each month. According to the state, around half the people who benefit are children, ten percent are seniors and 15 percent are people living with disabilities.
State Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a release that the ruling makes it clear that the Trump administration must use congressionally appropriated money to fund the program.
“No one should go hungry or experience financial hardship because of political gridlock in Washington, D.C. or an abuse of power by the Trump administration," Weiser said in a statement. "The court’s order makes clear that the USDA cannot ignore its legal duty to fund SNAP when Congress has made contingency funds available. More than 600,000 Coloradans depend on these benefits to feed themselves and their families, and they must receive this critical food support.”
On Thursday, Colorado lawmakers approved $10 million to help food banks feed people during the lapse in SNAP benefits.
Gov. Jared Polis and statehouse Democrats celebrated the judges' ruling.
“The USDA must immediately release this funding to help support the children and families who rely on it to access their food. But we can’t count on that, and so to speed up relief, we are ensuring that resources are flowing as quickly as possible to help people who are losing their November SNAP food access," Gov. Polis said in a statement.
Representative Diana DeGette said in a social media post that courts are showing the Trump administration is acting outside the law, "and we will keep fighting against their cruel, illegal efforts."
Sen. Michael Bennet said in a social media post that Trump administration is playing political games with SNAP and other benefits, like health care.
"I’m grateful to see the courts rule SNAP payments must continue, and will continue to fight for the services Coloradans rely on," Bennet said.
The four Republicans in Colorado's delegation have urged Bennet and Sen. John Hickenlooper to vote for the House-passed Continuing Resolution, which includes funding for SNAP. Earlier on the Friday, the lawmakers sent the Senate's top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Shumer, an open letter from Colorado county commissioners, pushing for him end his caucus' opposition to the House CR.
"The unfortunate reality is that this shutdown is forcing more than 600,000 Coloradans who rely on SNAP benefits to turn to alternative food sources, driving thousands to food banks and pantries. While we’re grateful to the several community leaders and advocates stepping up to serve hungry women and children during these vulnerable times, this ongoing shutdown is increasingly overwhelming these charities who are already struggling to keep up with the growing demand," wrote Reps. Gabe Evans, Jeff Crank, Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd.
