Washington: A judge in Washington DC has extended a temporary block on the Trump administration’s plan to freeze federal funding after nonprofit groups reported difficulties in accessing promised grants and loans.
US District Judge Loren L AliKhan decided to maintain an order that she issued last week, which paused the Trump administration’s sweeping proposal to freeze trillions in federal spending. While the memo outlining the freeze was rescinded, the administration has made it clear that a funding freeze is still planned as part of President Trump’s series of executive orders.
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In addition to the ruling in Washington, a second judge in Rhode Island has blocked a similar federal spending pause in a separate case filed by nearly two dozen Democratic states.
In the Washington lawsuit, several nonprofit groups reported being unable to access federal funding, even after the memo was withdrawn. These organizations span a variety of sectors, including childcare services in Wisconsin, disability services in West Virginia, and a small business research project focused on neutron generation and detection. “For many, the harms caused by the freeze are non-speculative, impending, and potentially catastrophic,” AliKhan wrote in her ruling.
Trump administration defends funding freeze
The Trump administration has argued that a brief pause in funding to align federal spending with the president’s priorities is within the law. They also claim that the court lacks constitutional authority to block such a pause. President Trump’s executive orders have aimed at increasing fossil fuel production, removing protections for transgender individuals, and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
However, Judge AliKhan found that “furthering the President's wishes cannot be a blank check for OMB to do as it pleases,” referring to the Office of Management and Budget, the body responsible for allocating federal funds.
Advocacy group Democracy Forward, which is representing the nonprofits, argues that the funding freeze violates federal law and puts nonprofit organizations at risk of closing down. The group also claims that the freeze infringes on their First Amendment rights.
This ruling comes at a time when many nonprofits are facing significant challenges in securing necessary federal support.
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Published: 04 Feb 2025, 06:23 am IST
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