A federal judge in Rhode Island granted a temporary restraining order Friday that would compel the government to distribute food stamp benefits for November.

Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island made the ruling from the bench in a lawsuit brought by the Rhode Island State Council of Churches along with nonprofit groups and cities. The groups sought to force the government to pay SNAP benefits using contingency funds for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 or under Agriculture Department’s other authority.

The decision came shortly after a separate federal judge gave the department until Monday to decide whether it will either partially or fully distribute food stamp benefits for November.

Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for

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