WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Thursday blocked Trump administrations in certain states from implementing a trillion dollar freeze on grants and loan payments that they tried to enact in late January.
Written by Supreme Court Justice John J. McConnell Jr. of the US District Court in Rhode Island. Interim injunction on page 45 The proposed funding freeze undermined “the clear constitutional role of each branch of the government.”
“The interaction of three comparable branches of government is a complex, delicate and sophisticated balance, but is important to the constitutional form of governance,” writes McConnell. “Here, the executives placed themselves on parliament, which imposed a categorical delegation on the spending of funds allocated and mandated to parliament, regardless of their authority to control parliamentary spending.
“Federal agencies and departments can spend, award or suspend money based on the power Congress has given them. They have no other expenditure output.”
McConnell’s interim injunction applies to 22 states and the District of Columbia, and the Attorney General filed a lawsuit. These include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconn.
Another provisional injunction from District Judge Lauren L. Alican of the District of Columbia, US District Court, applies nationwide; It was entered in late February.
Two lawsuits relating to memos
Two lawsuits – the National Nonprofits vs. Management and Budget Office and both New York and Trump, have been filed after the Trump administration attempted to freeze grants and loans worth trillions of dollars in late January.
Management and budget offices have been released Two-page notes On January 27, the federal sector and agencies called for a suspension of federal grant and loan obligations and diversification, confirming whether the administration reviewed its accounts to match policy goals.
The memo caused widespread confusion, including Congressional Republicans, leading to two lawsuits.
Alican Participated in a short-term management stay On January 28th, it was intended to prevent frozen orders from being effective. However, many departments and institutions had already stopped funding, so it took some time to restart.
The next day, management and the Budget office cancelled the notes, but a social media post from White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt caused confusion exactly what that meant.
“This is not a withdrawal of the federal funds freeze. It is simply a withdrawal of the OMB memo,” she writes. “Why? End the chaos caused by the court’s injunction. The President’s EO on federal funds will be fully effective and strictly enforced.”
More court cases
Leavitt’s tweet came when Alikhan and McConnell held separate hearings on whether to issue temporary restraining orders in their respective cases. McConnell Issued him January 31st and Alican I issued her February 3rd.
Alican Hearing was held On February 20th and whether to issue a provisional injunction to McConnell He held a hearing Whether a provisional injunction will be granted on February 21st.
Alican In that case, a provisional injunction was issued.February 25th, Nonprofit Organizations vs. Management Budget Bureau.
Both cases are expected to last for weeks and months amid dozens of other lawsuits filed against the actions of the Trump administration.
Last updated at 4:31pm, March 6, 2025
