The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo today that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and programs for farmers are not affected by President Trump’s freeze on federal spending. 

But because the memo says the freeze does cover diversity, equity and inclusion programs, it would appear that the freeze could apply to programs going to socially disadvantaged farmers. 

Meanwhile, a federal district judge on Tuesday granted an administrative stay in a case challenging Trump’s planned freeze of federal aid, pausing the plan for a week and setting a hearing for further arguments next Monday morning, the Associated Press and NBC News reported. 

The order only applies to the pause of disbursements in open grants, Judge Loren AliKhan said. And it doesn’t get into the legality of the freeze, instead just giving the court more time for briefings.

The freeze was scheduled to begin today at 5 p.m.

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., the ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee, said she is “hearing questions and concerns from across the farm bill coalition” about what she called the “poorly written and vague memo” that OMB sent out earlier. 

Craig said in a news release, “People want to know if farm loans will be disrupted, nutrition programs will be shortchanged or loans for renewable energy projects in rural communities will dry up.”

“At best, this memo has caused unnecessary panic among farm families and the communities they feed. At worst, its directives may destroy jobs throughout farm country and worsen food insecurity in homes across America.

“House Agriculture Democrats will exercise our oversight duty to find answers. In the meantime, I call on the administration to avoid further recklessness and work with Congress to ensure federal programs are implemented in accordance with the law.”