The Trump administration told a federal judge Monday it will deplete what remains of a $6 billion contingency fund to pay a portion of food stamp benefits in November amid the ongoing partial federal government shutdown.

The court filings responded to an order over the weekend from Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island directing the administration to use at least that contingency fund to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in November.

The $4.65 billion that remains in the contingency fund would cover about half of the benefits for November, according to a declaration from Patrick Penn, the deputy undersecretary for the USDA’s Food Nutrition and Consumer Services.

The DOJ said in another filing it would s

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