(CNN) – Two federal judges are ordering the Trump administration to replenish food aid benefits to tens of millions of people across the country.

On Friday, federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ruled the government is required to tap into billions of dollars in emergency funds to help pay for food stamp benefits.

Both judges rejected the Department of Agriculture’s claim that it couldn’t use contingency funds during the shutdown.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island said, “The shutdown of the government through funding doesn’t do away with SNAP, it just does away with the funding of it.”

The ruling comes one day before those benefits were set to expire.

Millions of recipients will still likely face delays in getting their benefits.

See Full Page