Emergency application

Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture v. Rhode Island State Council of Churches

Withdrawn

No. 25A539Stay applicationFiled by the federal governmentPresented to Justice JacksonFrom United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

What did the Court do?

The request was withdrawn on November 13, 2025, before the Court ruled on it.

Emergency rulings are temporary and do not decide the underlying case.

Filed November 7, 2025Ruled November 13, 20256 days after filing

What's being asked

The federal government asks the Supreme Court to pause (stay) a lower-court ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit while the appeal continues. The case is Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture v. Rhode Island State Council of Churches.

What the Court did

Application (25A539) withdrawn.

What it means

There is no ruling on the request. The case continues in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Sources

Facts on this page come from the Supreme Court docket, orders, and opinions for No. 25A539. The answers restate that record in plain words; explainer copy is written from the record and the filings only.

Checked September 25, 2026

Docket timeline

Nov 7, 2025Administrative stay
Order entered by Justice Jackson: The applicants are seeking a stay of two orders of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, case No. 1:25-cv-569. See D. Ct. Minute Entry (Oct. 31, 2025) and Docket Number 34 (Nov. 6, 2025). These orders require the applicants to fully fund benefits for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (“SNAP”) for the month of November, and to distribute that funding by the end of the day on November 7, 2025 (today). Earlier today, the applicants asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to stay the District Court’s orders pending appeal, and to issue an administrative stay to facilitate its consideration of that stay motion. At 6:08 p.m., the First Circuit denied the applicants’ request for an administrative stay, but stated that it “intend[s] to issue a decision on [the stay pending appeal] motion as quickly as possible.” Rhode Island State Council of Churches v. Rollins, No. 25-2089 (CA1 Nov. 7, 2025). The applicants filed an application in this Court this evening, requesting a stay of the two District Court orders “pending the disposition of the government’s appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and, if the court of appeals affirms those orders, pending the timely filing and disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari in this Court.” Application at 1. The applicants assert that, without intervention from this Court, they will have to “transfer an estimated $4 billion by tonight” to fund SNAP benefits through November. Ibid. Given the First Circuit’s representations, an administrative stay is required to facilitate the First Circuit’s expeditious resolution of the pending stay motion. It is ordered that the District Court’s orders are hereby administratively stayed pending disposition of the motion for a stay pending appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in case No. 25-2089 or further order of Justice Jackson or of the Court. This administrative stay will terminate forty-eight hours after the First Circuit’s resolution of the pending motion, which the First Circuit is expected to issue with dispatch.
Nov 7, 2025Filed
Application (25A539) for a stay, submitted to Justice Jackson.
Filing of November 7, 2025 (PDF 1)Filing of November 7, 2025 (PDF 2)Filing of November 7, 2025 (PDF 3)
Nov 7, 2025Docket entry
Letter of applicant Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, et al. filed.
Filing of November 7, 2025 (PDF)
Nov 10, 2025Docket entry
Letter of applicant Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, et al. filed.
Filing of November 10, 2025 (PDF)
Nov 10, 2025Docket entry
Order entered by Justice Jackson: In light of the First Circuit’s order partially denying the motion for a stay and given the exigencies involved in this matter, it is ordered that, by 11:00 a.m. (EST) on November 10, 2025, the applicants shall provide the Court with notice of their intention to continue to pursue a stay of the District Court’s orders from this Court via the pending stay application. If the applicants do intend to seek a stay, it is further ordered, that (1) applicants shall submit any supplemental brief under Rule 15.8 in support of the stay application by 4:00 p.m. (EST) on November 10, 2025; and (2) respondents shall file a response to the application and any of the supplemental arguments by 8:00 a.m. (EST) on November 11, 2025.
Nov 10, 2025Docket entry
Supplemental brief of applicant Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, et al. filed.
Filing of November 10, 2025 (PDF 1)Filing of November 10, 2025 (PDF 2)Filing of November 10, 2025 (PDF 3)
Nov 10, 2025Docket entry
Brief amici curiae of Bipartisan Former Governors filed.
Filing of November 10, 2025 (PDF 1)Filing of November 10, 2025 (PDF 2)
Nov 11, 2025Response
Response to application from respondent Rhode Island State Council of Churches, et al. filed.
Filing of November 11, 2025 (PDF 1)Filing of November 11, 2025 (PDF 2)Filing of November 11, 2025 (PDF 3)
Nov 11, 2025Referred to the full Court
Application (25A539) referred to the Court.
Nov 11, 2025Referred to the full Court
The application for stay presented to Justice Jackson is referred to the Court. The administrative stay entered on November 7, 2025, is hereby extended until 11:59 p.m. (EST) on November 13, 2025. Justice Jackson would deny the request for extension of the administrative stay and would deny the application.
Nov 12, 2025Docket entry
Brief amici curiae of Local Governments, et al. filed.
Filing of November 12, 2025 (PDF 1)Filing of November 12, 2025 (PDF 2)
Nov 12, 2025Docket entry
Brief amici curiae of Massachusetts, et al. filed.
Filing of November 12, 2025 (PDF 1)Filing of November 12, 2025 (PDF 2)
Nov 13, 2025Docket entry
Letter withdrawing the application filed.
Filing of November 13, 2025 (PDF)
Nov 13, 2025Order
Application (25A539) withdrawn.
6 days after filing

The case below

Ruling under review: United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, No. 25-2089
Filings: The application (PDF)Appendix with the lower-court ruling (PDF)

All emergency applications