(CNN) — A federal judge in Rhode Island said Thursday that the Trump administration must fully cover food stamp benefits for tens of millions of Americans in November.

“People have gone without for too long,” US District Judge John McConnell said during a hastily called hearing Thursday. “Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.”

Nearly 42 million Americans receive food stamps. Payments are made on a staggered basis over the course of a month.

But the US Department of Agriculture took the unprecedented step of halting benefits for November, saying the program had run out of funding amid the government shutdown.

Despite the judge’s ruling, however, many beneficiaries may have to wait at least a few more days to see the assistance, depending on where

See Full Page