In a surprising development, a federal judge in Washington D.C. determined on Monday that the Trump administration has failed to fully comply with his directive to unfreeze federal spending. The judge has ordered the White House to release billions of dollars in funding that has been held up. The Trump administration promptly filed an appeal against the ruling.
U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell became the first to declare that the administration had defied a court order. Despite his initial order on January 31 to halt a planned freeze on federal spending, funds for crucial areas such as early childhood education, pollution reduction, and HIV prevention research have remained inaccessible. Judge McConnell has instructed the Trump administration to promptly implement all necessary measures to adhere to his temporary restraining order, which put a stop to the sweeping freeze of federal funds.
Furthermore, Judge McConnell’s order also prohibits the administration from slashing billions of dollars in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, as it goes against the terms of the temporary restraining order. The judge emphasized that the extensive freeze on federal funds is likely unconstitutional and has caused substantial and ongoing harm across the nation.
This ruling comes at a time when top officials in the Trump administration have publicly challenged the authority of the judiciary to oversee executive actions as the administration faces resistance from the courts on various fronts. In addition to the funding freeze issue, court interventions have temporarily halted other controversial initiatives, including ending birthright citizenship, restricting access to Treasury Department records, and implementing a mass deferred resignation plan for federal workers.
As of now, the White House has not issued a response to the ruling, while the Justice Department has filed an appeal with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. The administration has stated that it is striving to comply with the court’s order in good faith, though it argues that the ruling only pertains to the specific freeze outlined in a memo from late January, which has since been revoked.
Judge McConnell clarified that his order covers a wide range of funding cuts and is not limited to the rescinded memo. While the administration had justified the spending freeze as aligning with the president’s agenda, the ruling now impedes those plans. Despite potential ongoing spending halts, the judge’s decision is set to have a significant impact on various federal programs and initiatives.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has commended Judge McConnell’s ruling, emphasizing the importance of upholding the law. He warned that legal action would be pursued if the administration fails to comply with the court’s directives.
In a separate case in Oregon, a group providing…
The Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, under the leadership of Executive Director Frank Jay So, providing critical services and support to immigrants on their journey to become U.S. citizens, were shocked to receive a letter abruptly freezing their funding on Feb. 4. Speaking to The Associated Press, So expressed his dismay at the lack of communication regarding the availability of funds as of Monday.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” he lamented. “We have a workshop scheduled for next month and are prepared to proceed without federal funds if necessary. However, our financial reserves are finite, and without support, our important work will be at risk.”
Since 2010, the group has been the recipient of funding that has enabled them to assist over 4,000 immigrants from 80 different countries in their path to citizenship. So emphasized the impact of their work, not only benefiting the immigrants themselves but also the citizens who rely on their contributions to the workforce. He criticized the sudden and disruptive nature of the funding freeze, stating that such haphazard actions only serve to cause harm.
The urgency of the situation was reflected in the contributions of Associated Press writers Chris Megerian in Washington and Martha Bellisle in Seattle, who provided additional reporting on the matter.
