Days after 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the federal government, two federal judges ruled in favor of two states that sued the US. Department of Agriculture over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits pause due to the government shutdown.

The USDA announced earlier this week that benefits would be paused during the federal government shutdown, which began Oct 1.

The judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts issued a temporary order to the Trump administration to continue funding the benefits.

They both ruled that the administration should utilize the SNAP contingency funds and other appropriated funds during the shutdown.

Judge Indira Talwan, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, said on Friday that even the contingency fund might not cover all the SNAP benefits.

“At least some recipients will not receive SNAP payments at the beginning of the month, and this absence of SNAP payments will undoubtedly result in substantial harm to them,” Talwan said.

Tarrant County residents account for almost 225,000 individuals who rely on SNAP benefits out of the 3.5 million Texans who are eligible for the program.

North Texas organizations have been scrambling to ensure they have sufficient donations to support SNAP recipients and federal employees who have been out of work for nearly a month.

Trey Harper, executive director of Community Link Mission in Saginaw, said that people who have an EBT card for SNAP can use the Double Up Food Bucks program at the Saginaw Farmers Market, the Azel Farmers’ Market and other participating farmers markets. The program allows recipients to double their SNAP dollars for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables.

“The job is really too great for private philanthropy to carry on without the government’s help,” Harper said. “So we’re at a point that is kind of a perfect storm brewing as we see federal dollars cut to agencies that are providing for those who are reliant on the government, whether for their paycheck or for their benefit of receiving supplemental nutrition dollars.”