Millions of Americans who depend on federal food assistance faced uncertainty this weekend after the program was unexpectedly halted. A crucial deadline looms as they await a resolution.

On Friday, a federal judge in Rhode Island mandated the Trump administration to disburse Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits “as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, a separate ruling from a federal judge in Boston suggested that the suspension of these benefits could be “unlawful.”

U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, set a deadline for the administration, requiring them to disclose by noon on Monday how they plan to comply with his order to restore SNAP funding, either fully or partially. Similarly, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston has demanded the federal government outline its response strategy by the same deadline.