MURPHYSBORO, IL (WSIL) -- A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to provide full November SNAP benefits by Friday, November 7, rejecting an earlier plan to issue only partial payments.

The administration has since appealed the ruling, asking a U.S. appeals court to block the order, arguing it cannot legally redirect money from other nutrition programs to cover the shortfall caused by the federal shutdown. In the meantime, the USDA had planned to issue about 65 percent of normal SNAP benefits, and even that partial rollout is expected to face delays of several days to weeks as state agencies scramble to reprogram payment systems.

While federal officials continue to debate how—and when—families will get their benefits, local communities are already stepping in

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