A federal judge in Boston signalled she may rule that the Trump administration is likely to have violated US law in suspending food-aid benefits to millions of low-income US households during the government shutdown, and she criticised the “political game” being played with American lives.

At a court hearing on Thursday, US District Judge Indira Talwani heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by more than two dozen Democratic-led states seeking to keep federal dollars flowing to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, or Snap.

The judge said she would issue a ruling later in the day.

The US Department of Agriculture previously announced it would halt the programme starting in November until Congress approves a new spending deal. Earlier this month, officials had directed states to stop taking steps to administer the programme ahead of November 1.

Talwani bristled at claims by the federal government that it could not tap available emergency funds and that even providing partial payments would be “devastating” and too difficult for states to carry out.

The judge said Congress was trying “to protect the American people,” at a Thursday hearing weighing a request by a coalition of states to force the government to use the emergency funds.