Emergency application

Food aid during shutdown

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Withdrawn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The request was withdrawn on November 13, 2025, before the Court ruled on it.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, 2025Closed November 13, 20256 days after filing

What's being asked

The federal government, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, asked the Supreme Court to pause two orders requiring it to fund November SNAP benefits. The orders require the government to fully fund November benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and distribute that money by November 7. The Rhode Island State Council of Churches and other groups brought the case against federal officials and agencies.

What the Court did

The application closed without a ruling on the request; the docket says it was withdrawn. The Court did not publish how the justices voted.

What it means

The withdrawal did not decide who wins the underlying SNAP funding dispute. A government appeal was pending in the First Circuit; the record gives no update. No related Supreme Court merits case or argument is listed.

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 October 4, 2026

Docket timeline

FiledNov 7, 2025
Application (25A539) for a stay, submitted to Justice Jackson.
Application (PDF)Appendix (PDF)Proof of service (PDF)
Administrative stayNov 7, 2025
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.
Administrative stayNov 7, 2025
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.
Docket entryNov 7, 2025
Letter of applicant Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, et al. filed.
Document 1 (PDF)
Docket entryNov 10, 2025
Letter of applicant Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, et al. filed.
Document 1 (PDF)
Docket entryNov 10, 2025
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.
Docket entryNov 10, 2025
Supplemental brief of applicant Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, et al. filed.
Document 1 (PDF)Document 2 (PDF)Proof of service (PDF)
Docket entryNov 10, 2025
Brief amici curiae of Bipartisan Former Governors filed.
Document 1 (PDF)Proof of service (PDF)
ResponseNov 11, 2025
Response to application from respondent Rhode Island State Council of Churches, et al. filed.
Response (PDF)Document 2 (PDF)Document 3 (PDF)
Referred to the full CourtNov 11, 2025
Application (25A539) referred to the Court.
Referred to the full CourtNov 11, 2025
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.
Docket entryNov 12, 2025
Brief amici curiae of Massachusetts, et al. filed.
Document 1 (PDF)Proof of service (PDF)
Docket entryNov 12, 2025
Brief amici curiae of Local Governments, et al. filed.
Document 1 (PDF)Proof of service (PDF)
Docket entryNov 13, 2025
Letter withdrawing the application filed.
Document 1 (PDF)
OrderNov 13, 2025
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)