BOSTON (SHNS) - A federal judge in Boston on Friday ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP as the government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for millions of Americans, ordering the White House to outline a plan to provide at least partial assistance starting Nov. 1.

Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said the administration’s suspension of benefits "is contrary to law," noting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is statutorily required to use previously appropriated SNAP contingency funds when necessary and has discretion to use other available funds.

Benefits for roughly 42 million Americans, including about 1.1 million in Massachusetts, are at risk as the federal government faces its second-longest shutdown

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