On Friday, a federal judge in Rhode Island barred the Trump administration from halting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the U.S. government shutdown.

Judge Jack McConnell issued the oral ruling one day before the administration planned to terminate food stamp distributions for 42 million Americans.

During a hearing, a Justice Department lawyer argued that the SNAP program had "ceased to exist" because Congress had failed to appropriate funds for it due to the shutdown.

The attorney, Tyler Becker, also contended that the administration had discretion over whether to use $6 billion in contingency funds already allocated by Congress to continue SNAP benefits.

Judge McConnell's ruling mandated the government to utilize these emergency funds to maintain at least partial SNAP distributions. He further stated that if Congress failed to pass a funding bill, the administration must explore whether other federal funds could sustain the program.