A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from cutting off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning this weekend because of the government shutdown, ordering officials to first spend an emergency fund.

The roughly $5.25 billion fund is not enough to fully cover November benefits for the food assistance program, which will cost the government upwards of $9 billion.

But U.S. District Judge John McConnell’s order prevents the administration from completely drying up the benefit for more than 40 million Americans starting Saturday, rejecting arguments that the emergency fund can only be used for hurricanes or other uncontrollable catastrophes.

“SNAP benefits have never, until now, been terminated,” McConnell said at a hearing. “And the U.S. has in fact

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