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Pennsylvanians who were supposed to get SNAP benefits this week, but didn’t because of the federal government shutdown and funding freezes, should see money on their cards by tonight or in the coming days, state officials said.

About $100 million in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, are being delivered to some of the 2 million Pennsylvanians in the program after a judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to issue full benefit payments starting this week.

The Trump administration has already filed an appeal, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture has told states it is working to comply with U.S. District Judge John McConnell’s order.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the state Department of Human Services moved to immediately pull in federal program dollars in the last 24 hours and get them to participants who never received their benefits on or after Nov. 1.

“So, if you were one of those people that had a zero on your SNAP card cause you were supposed to get your benefits on the first of the month, go check it out,” Shapiro said Friday in Philadelphia. “Those dollars are flowing.”

Pennsylvanians can check their SNAP balances online or through a phone app.

State officials hope that most people will see the full amount of November benefits reflected on their cards by “midnight,” Shapiro said.

The payments only apply to some of the 2 million state residents in the anti-hunger safety net program, as participants get SNAP benefits on different dates throughout the month, depending on when they initially enrolled.

Pennsylvania normally gets $366 million in SNAP payments every month for all participants.

The future of benefits for people who typically get their benefits later in the month remains unclear. The Trump administration in its appeal could ask the court to stop additional payments while the case plays out.

“My appeal to the Trump administration is, just do the right thing. Give up. You’re going to lose again in court,” Shapiro said during a visit to Share Food Program, a hunger relief organization in Philadelphia. “And the only thing you’re fighting for – think about this – the only thing you’re fighting for is to make Americans hungry. I don’t know why you would want to do that.”

Shapiro said his legal team is working with other states and organizations who have sued the Trump administration to ensure that the federal government uses emergency and contingency funding in order to keep SNAP afloat during the shutdown.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Supreme Court justice has temporarily paused a lower court's ruling requiring the Trump administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the month of November by the end of the day Friday.

In an order late Friday night, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the pause will remain in effect until the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issues a judgment on the matter. Jackson is the justice assigned to emergency applications out of the 1st circuit, and her order did not refer the matter to the full Supreme Court.

Earlier Friday, the Court of Appeals denied a request by the Trump administration for an administrative stay pausing the order to fully fund SNAP. The Trump administration responded by asking the Supreme Court to intervene.

As the court battle played out through the day Friday, at least nine states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, had already begun issuing SNAP benefits under the direction of the federal agency that operates SNAP.

"We're putting dollars back on people's SNAP cards because that's what the people of Pennsylvania deserve," said Governor Josh Shapiro during a visit to Share Food in Philadelphia.

This latest Supreme Court order could prevent other states from initiating the payments.

In Germantown, resident Atoya Williams checked her SNAP balance on her way to the supermarket. Despite not receiving her payments yet, she remains hopeful.

"I've been concerned for myself, my family," Williams said.

Williams has been relying on community resources such as the Germantown Adventist Church, which partners with Philabundance to provide monthly food distributions at Wayne and Chelten avenues.

"It's a blessing. I'm very appreciative," Williams said.

Pastor Corey Johnson said the demand for assistance has increased.

To help meet that need, members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated will package more than 150 food bags for distribution to the community.

"For anyone who is feeling like they are alone, I want you to know you're not alone," Johnson said. "We're all in this same storm, and I think the key is going to be our leaning into community."

Mark Edwards, President and CEO of The Food Trust, said he's preparing for whatever comes next as families and communities weather ongoing instability.

"During this tough time right now, our programming allows people the dignity to shop and choose whatever they like to eat, and it also keeps the economy moving, so supporting farmers and business owners while we see a huge dip in business," Edwards said.

At Weavers Way Co-op in Roxborough, about five percent of customers rely on SNAP or other forms of government assistance, many of whom have been affected by the recent pause in payments.

"What we've done is we've created a community fund and we've asked the 95 percent of our members who aren't affected to put money into the fund, and then the 5 percent of our members who have been affected can draw from that fund," said Jon Roesser, general manager of Weavers Way.

Edwards added that the uncertainty has been particularly hard on communities across the city.

"This is a really distressing time for the city of Philadelphia and so many communities," he said.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are in the process of being sent to recipients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to the states' governors. It comes one day after a judge ordered the Trump administration to provide full federal food benefits,

An emotional Gov. Josh Shapiro said Friday that relief is on the way for the more than two million Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP, including 472,000 people in Philadelphia.

SNAP recipients who were supposed to get their benefits within the first six days of November in Pennsylvania have either already been paid or will be paid in full by midnight, Shapiro said Friday at Share, a food bank in Philadelphia.

Shortly after Shapiro concluded his press conference, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his state's Department of Human Services "acted immediately" to process full SNAP benefits for people who have been waiting for them. More than 800,000 New Jersey residents rely on SNAP, Murphy said.

Delaware residents who collect SNAP benefits will receive a text message when their benefits are ready for use, the state government said.

When SNAP benefits were cut off due to the federal government shutdown, Shapiro sued the Trump administration and issued a disaster declaration last week, releasing $5 million in funding to help food banks in the state stay afloat.

Shapiro said the commonwealth, along with a group of other states, won a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration, and on Thursday a judge ordered the federal government to restore full SNAP funding. The governor's announcement came as the U.S. Department of Agriculture told states Friday it's working to comply with the federal judge's order.

Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services has sent a list of recipients to its vendor to begin reloading EBT cards, Shapiro said.

"The dollars are beginning to flow again to SNAP recipients who haven't received their benefits over the course of the first six days of this month," Shapiro said. "If you're one of those people who had a zero on your SNAP card because you were supposed to get your benefits on the first of the month, go check it out. Those dollars are flowing."

The Trump administration appealed the court order, saying the judge's order "makes a mockery of the separation of powers."

"There is no lawful basis for an order that directs USDA to somehow find $4 billion in the metaphorical couch cushions," they wrote in their request for emergency relief.

Shapiro singled out Vice President JD Vance, who called the court's ruling "absurd" on Thursday.

"After claiming all these things his whole life and literally go to court to stop hungry people from eating, that is not only phony, it is shameful," Shapiro said. "You'll excuse me for getting emotional about it, but when I see hungry people in my state who are hungry because of JD Vance's [expletive] politics, that makes me angry. And that's why I went to court."

Shapiro said the commonwealth is ready to continue fighting in court, if necessary.

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Travelers who are flying out of A-West should use the A-East checkpoint. Anyone flying from Terminal F should use the D/E checkpoint.

PHILADELPHIA — Two security checkpoints at the Philadelphia International Airport are now temporarily closed.

According to Philadelphia International Airport officials, the Transportation Security Administration has temporarily closed Terminal A-West and Terminal F security checkpoints.

Officials said this measure was taken to help "optimize operations across other checkpoints" during the federal government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 due to partisan disagreements about federal spending levels, foreign aid rescissions, and health insurance subsidies.

TSA workers are among federal employees who are working without pay during the shutdown.

Travelers can still access the A-West and F terminals, as travelers can access any gate from any open security checkpoint. Those who are flying out of A-West should use the A-East checkpoint. Anyone flying from Terminal F should use the D/E checkpoint.

Officials said the A-East checkpoint will be open at night. Terminal A-East will remain open until 10:15 p.m. to accommodate international travelers.

Philadelphia International Airport staff will be on-site to guide travelers to the nearest open checkpoint.

Additionally, the free American Airlines shuttle will continue running as usual, connecting A-West, A-East, B, C, and F.

Officials are recommending travelers arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights. Live TSA wait times and TSA Checkpoint hours at are available online here.

With the shutdown in its 35th day as of this publication, United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said some airspace around the country could be closed.

"You will see mass chaos, you will see mass delays, you will see mass cancellations, and you may see us closed certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don't have air traffic controllers," he said at a news conference in Philadelphia Tuesday.

The Philadelphia International Airport is collecting donations to support its 1,700 federal workers. Those who wish to support the effort can learn more by emailing communications@phl.org.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed a disaster declaration freeing up around $5 million to help feed Pennsylvania residents impacted by SNAP benefits set to expire Saturday amid the federal government shutdown.

The money will go to Feeding Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that partners with food banks to distribute food in all 67 counties in the commonwealth.

Feeding Pennsylvania will use the money to help food banks across the state, including Philabundance, one of the largest food banks in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Shapiro also announced over $1 million in private donations, including some from Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban and David Adelman, a partner in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the Sixers' parent company, that will go to food banks.

"That also allows us to cut through the red tape and get funds to food banks as quickly as possible," Shapiro said. "The dollars that I've released today will be in our food banks, allowing them to purchase more food for this coming week."

The governor also noted this would be the first-ever lapse in SNAP benefits, impacting around 2 million Pennsylvanians, which is about one in eight residents.

Robin Perkins of South Philadelphia is one of the nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians who won't see their November SNAP benefits Saturday. For her and many others, now is a time to plan.

"I think I wanted to scream, like honestly," Perkins said. "Last time I received benefits was October. I have $30 left that I'm holding on to for the holidays."

While Shapiro said the state cannot backfill those stalled benefits, he feels getting funding to food banks is the best way they can meet the immediate need.

"Pennsylvania cannot possibly fill the gap left by losing $366 million a month, which is the amount of money that goes on individual SNAP cards each month here in Pennsylvania," Shapiro said. "Remember, the feds will not reimburse us if we seek to put dollars on that card. So instead, we are relying on our food banks."

Shapiro said the money will begin being sent out Friday night, and food banks will be able to buy more food next week.

Shapiro's announcement comes as a federal judge ruled Friday the Trump administration is required by law to use contingency funds to pay at least partial SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. The judge gave the administration until Monday to respond.

Pennsylvania joined 24 other states in the federal lawsuit seeking to compel the USDA to use contingency funds to at least partially fund SNAP during the government shutdown, which is in its 31st day.

Shapiro said he's encouraged by the judge's ruling, but with a few buts. He said he expects the Trump administration could appeal and withhold the funds. If they don't, Shapiro said it would take seven to 10 days to get money out to people.

On top of people losing SNAP benefits, officials say they're getting more calls from federal workers who aren't being paid during the government shutdown. Leaders call the funding a first step to bridge the gap, but acknowledge that replacing these benefits will be a tall task.

Meanwhile, New Jersey is speeding up grant funding to food banks and Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer on Wednesday declared a state of emergency, which will allow state funding for SNAP recipients on a weekly basis in the state.

Food banks brace for increasing demands

Loree Jones-Brown, CEO of Philabundance, said pantries are seeing "scared faces and longer lines" as more people seek help.

"This is happening at a time when we're already seeing record numbers," Jones-Brown said.

Julie Bancroft, CEO of Feeding Pennsylvania, said the funds will help food banks distribute fresh, Pennsylvania-grown products such as meat, milk, eggs and produce within days.

Still, it's unclear which organizations will receive the funding. Nonprofits like Chosen 300 Ministries in Philadelphia, which provides free meals for people experiencing poverty and homelessness, say they are already struggling to stay afloat.

Executive Director Brian Jenkins said the organization is running a $12,000 deficit this year as donations and federal funding have slowed during the shutdown.

"We do need help with the dollars as well because we still have to go out and purchase items that we cook and provide for those in need," Jenkins said. "We take care of the grocery programs, but also the hot meals for people who come and sit down to have a nice meal for the evening."

Officials warn that it will take time to restore SNAP benefits — and possibly longer if the Trump administration appeals the court ruling that paused the suspension.

In the meantime, Pennsylvania's food banks are bracing for increased demand as the shutdown continues.

Tom Dougherty and Joe Brandt contributed to this report.

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