Judge Blocks Trump’s Funding Freeze
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s latest effort to reshape government spending, pausing his sweeping freeze of federal funding while an ideological review is conducted.
The ruling, issued just minutes before the freeze was set to take effect on Tuesday (Jan. 27), prevents what could have been a seismic disruption to states, schools, and organizations relying on Washington’s financial support.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan granted an administrative stay in response to a lawsuit brought by nonprofit groups that depend on federal funds, halting the freeze until at least Monday afternoon when another court hearing is scheduled, the AP reports.
“It seems like the federal government currently doesn’t actually know the full extent of the programs that are going to be subject to the pause,” AliKhan remarked, highlighting the chaotic rollout of Trump’s directive.
The White House has remained silent on the ruling for now, while Democrats, long struggling to counter Trump’s executive maneuvers in his second term, blasted the move as reckless and illegal.
“There is no question this policy is reckless, dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James, who, along with attorneys general from 22 states and D.C., swiftly filed a lawsuit seeking to block the administration’s actions permanently.
Trump’s administration defended the freeze as necessary to ensure compliance with his executive orders, which target increasing fossil fuel production, rolling back protections for transgender individuals, and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
However, a vaguely worded memo from the Office of Management and Budget left lawmakers, public officials, and everyday Americans scrambling to determine which programs would be affected.
Recently, the administration has insisted that essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, and food stamps are unaffected, but the lack of transparency has continued to fuel anxiety nationwide.