A U.S. federal judge has ordered the government of President Donald Trump to continue the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps low-income households purchase food, despite the ongoing government shutdown that had threatened to halt payments as of Saturday.

The decision by Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island came after several municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and a union filed a lawsuit arguing that suspending the program—formerly known as food stamps—would be unlawful and devastating for millions of Americans.

SNAP, which provides assistance to more than 42 million people across the United States, costs around $8.5 to $9 billion per month. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) had claimed it lacked the funds or legal authorization to continue payments until Congress approved a new budget and ended the shutdown, which began on October 1.

Judge McConnell’s ruling, however, found that the government still has access to emergency resources that can be used to maintain the program. The plaintiffs pointed out that the USDA retains $5.25 billion in an emergency fund previously approved by Congress for situations deemed “essential to the program’s operation.” They also noted that a separate $23 billion fund could be used to prevent a historic disruption of benefits.

The court’s decision forces the administration to use these available funds to ensure SNAP benefits continue uninterrupted while the political impasse in Congress persists.

The shutdown has already sparked growing concern over its social and economic fallout, with local officials warning that a prolonged halt to SNAP payments could trigger widespread hardship among vulnerable families.