Federal Judge in Manhattan Blocks Trump Administration from Cancelling $1.1 Billion in Aid for Schools
A federal judge in Manhattan has halted the Trump administration’s attempt to cancel over $1.1 billion in unspent aid designated 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 rescinding the aid while the lawsuit is ongoing.
The lawsuit, filed on April 10 by New York Attorney General Letitia James, attorneys general from 14 other states, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, all of whom are Democrats, challenged the administration’s decision to retract the aid. The funds were intended to assist K-12 schools in recovering from the pandemic, including providing tutoring for students who have fallen behind, improving school facilities, and supporting homeless students with food and other necessities.
Despite the Biden administration extending the availability of the aid through March 2026, McMahon, a member of the previous administration under President Donald Trump, argued in a letter dated March 28 that states had sufficient time to utilize the funds and that further extension would not align with the department’s priorities. The Education Department and Justice Department contended that reclaiming the money was in the public’s interest, as taxpayer funds should be utilized for their intended purpose and the public health crisis from the pandemic was no longer deemed an emergency.
The case, brought by a coalition of states and officials, including attorneys general from Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, and Oregon, is ongoing in U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York.
(Authored by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Edited by Howard Goller)
