In New York City, a federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s move to cancel over $1.1 billion in unspent aid intended to support U.S. elementary and high schools in addressing the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos issued a preliminary injunction preventing Education Secretary Linda McMahon from withdrawing the aid while the lawsuit is ongoing.
The legal action was initiated on April 10 by New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with attorneys general from 14 other states, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, all of whom are Democrats. The funding, totaling around $190 billion, was designated to aid K-12 schools in their recovery efforts post-pandemic, including support for students who had fallen behind, infrastructure upgrades, and assistance for homeless students.
While the Biden administration had extended the availability of these funds through March 2026, McMahon, serving in the Trump administration, argued in a letter dated March 28 that states had sufficient time to utilize the resources and that extending the timeline further was not in line with the department’s objectives. The government contended that reclaiming the funds was in the best interest of taxpayers to ensure they are used as intended, especially as the public health crisis from the pandemic had subsided.
A coalition of plaintiffs, including attorneys general from various states and territories, challenged this decision in court, resulting in the recent injunction. The case, titled New York et al v U.S. Department of Education et al, is being heard in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York.
