Gov. Walz announced state funding Monday to help Minnesotans who receive monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Twin Cities food banks and restaurants geared up to help those facing a cut in food benefits, but a federal ruling may have put those cuts on hold.

Minnesota is among at least 22 states that have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, claiming the agency is unlawfully suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Gov. Tim Walz announced $4 million in emergency funding will go to Minnesota food shelves as the ongoing government shutdown threatens to cut off SNAP benefits for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans.

The lawsuit argues the USDA is legally required to continue providing SNAP benefits during the shutdown as long as it has funding.

MFIP was specifically designed for young families and pregnant women, and there's more than grocery money bundled into it.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — more commonly known as SNAP, or food stamps — is a key benefits program that serves more than 40 million people across the country. Now, the shutdown is threatening to suspend benefits, raising concerns over where millions of people who rely on the program will turn to for food.

The Agriculture Department said it can't use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits, contradicting earlier guidance that the money was available.