“Legal Fight Over Trump’s Freeze on Federal Funding Continues”
WASHINGTON (AP) — An anticipated legal battle over the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding is set to return to a Washington courtroom on Monday. A judge is set to deliberate on whether to extend her temporary injunction on President Donald Trump’s decision to halt federal grants and loans, which could potentially impact a significant amount of funding amounting to trillions of dollars. In Washington, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan intervened by blocking the funding freeze just minutes before it was set to go into effect. Although a memo detailing a broad federal funding pause was subsequently withdrawn, Trump’s Republican administration maintains that a funding freeze aligns with his series of executive orders. These orders have encompassed initiatives to boost fossil fuel production, dismantle protections for transgender individuals, and terminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
In a separate legal challenge brought by nearly two dozen Democratic states, a second judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order on Friday to prevent the administration from halting any federal funding. However, the lawsuit in Washington was initiated by nonprofit organizations at risk of losing federal funding. One such group, which aids elderly individuals and those with disabilities in West Virginia, reported losing access to anticipated federal grant money last week, constituting the majority of its budget. The organization’s services encompass assisting individuals with intellectual disabilities to live independently and providing essential transportation to elderly persons, such as an 86-year-old woman requiring dialysis.
Should the funding freeze proceed, the group warned of its imminent closure, leaving those it serves vulnerable. The organization, unnamed in public records, cautioned that individuals it supports might face relocation to nursing homes, group residences, or even homelessness. The Trump administration argued that a brief funding pause would align with federal statutes and contended that the court lacks the constitutional jurisdiction to prevent it. Additionally, the administration assured that essential payments to individuals, like those for Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, would remain unaffected.
