Officials from half the states and the District of Columbia are asking a federal judge to order the Department of Agriculture to provide food stamp benefits for November.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the state will fund November food aid for children, the elderly or disabled who receive food stamps as the federal government shutdown drags on. Landry and Legislative leaders announced the plan to secure funding from the Louisiana Department of Health during an Oct. 29 press conference.

The states petitioned a federal court days after the Agriculture Dept. said it would not take emergency steps to provide aid during the government shutdown.

Democratic-led states filed suit in federal court, arguing the Trump administration’s halt to SNAP aid during the shutdown harms millions of low-income Americans.

In an unprecedented situation, millions of Americans could lose access to a crucial food assistance program in the coming weeks amid the federal government shutdown.

A federal judge in Boston will consider on Thursday whether to block President Donald Trump's administration from moving forward with plans to suspend food aid for

Blaming the federal government shutdown, the Trump administration said it could not fund the benefits beginning in November.

A coalition of 25 Democratic-run states sued the Trump administration Tuesday to prevent billions of dollars of cuts to federal food assistance that are set to kick in this weekend.

As November looms, states are trying to sort what options they can offer beneficiaries to fill the gap in food assistance. Reporters from the NPR Network are covering the impact of this potential lapse in states across the country.