Federal judge blocks Trump SNAP funding conditions: Here's everything to know

A federal judge on Friday, June 5, rejected the Trump Administration's imposition of new conditions on states seeking funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

This marks a legal victory for 20 Democratic-led states that had challenged the requirements.

A preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed conditions has been granted by the U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, adding restrictions related to “gender ideology,” “immigration,” and “fair athletic opportunities” for women and girls.

Massachusetts, California, and New York have led the coalition arguing that the USDA had “thrown unconstitutional and unlawful roadblocks between the programs created by Congress and the States that rely on the.”

Each year, the states get over $74 billion from USDA funding for such programs as SNAP, school lunch, and WIC.

The Trump administration had defended the rules, with government attorneys stating that the “rules would aid in the prudent management of taxpayer dollars, enhance USDA’s authority over obligated funds, and ensure compliance with federal laws by grantees.”

There are about 39 million people who benefit from \SNAP. This number has decreased by 4.3 million between January 2025 and January 2026, owing to the new requirement of working that was introduced through the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”