Jennifer Ludden

Judge McConnell agreed.

He said the administration had ignored the harmful consequences of slashing the nation's biggest anti-hunger program.

He also said President Trump showed intent to defy a court order when he posted on Truth Social this week that SNAP benefits would not restart until after the federal shutdown was over.

The administration's appeal once again puts food aid on hold for millions of people as food banks around the country scramble to help fill the gap.

Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

The judge in this case ordered the Trump administration to use a $4 or $5 billion contingency fund to at least pay partial benefits.

But he and another judge in Boston in a separate lawsuit both said there is a bigger pot of money from customs revenues that the Trump administration could use to make full SNAP payments.

Now, the government had declined to do that.

It said it wants to keep that money for other uses like child nutrition programs.

But depending on how this appeal plays out, of course, if there is a final order to make full SNAP payments, that bigger pot is where they may turn for the money.

Under court order, the Trump administration is tapping a contingency fund to restart SNAP food aid.

It said it should cover about half of people's benefits for November.

But Katie Berg with the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities says it appears most people will actually get less than that.

The center also estimates the administration will not spend all of its contingency fund.

The Agriculture Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, some states say the formula for calculating partial payments is too labor-intensive, and getting them to people will take weeks.

Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington.

Many SNAP recipients are parents like Shalise Hooks in Phoenix.

She's a widow and unemployed with a 15-year-old son.

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funds to keep SNAP going.