BOSTON — President Donald Trump’s administration cannot suspend food aid for millions of Americans during the ongoing government shutdown, two federal judges ruled on Friday, saying the government must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits.

The dual rulings by judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island came in a pair of lawsuits seeking to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s suspension on Saturday of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as SNAP or food stamps.

Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been trading blame for the prolonged shutdown, which has put SNAP benefits in jeopardy.

It was not immediately clear whether the rulings mean that benefits will be paid on November 1.

Both judges ordered the administration to report back to them on Monda

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