A US judge has ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), also known as food stamps, and accused the administration of withholding the food aid "for political reasons".
Judge John McConnell said in his order on Thursday that without the aid, "16 million children are immediately at risk of going hungry".
The programme is used by about 42 million - or about 1 in 8 - in America and helps those with low income afford groceries.
The administration at first planned to halt its funding entirely this month due to the shutdown, which is now the longest in US history, but had been ordered to doll out at least partial payments this month.
The judge, who is based in Rhode Island, also criticised President Donald Trump for saying that benefits would only be distributed after the government shutdown ends.
