A US federal judge issued a second ruling on Friday that blocks a Trump administration directive aimed at freezing federal aid funding. This temporary injunction arrives on the heels of a similar ruling by a federal judge in Washington, DC, earlier this week. The recent decision was made by Judge John J. McConnell of the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island. In his decision, Judge McConnell held that President Donald Trump’s administration “shall not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate… obligations to provide federal financial assistance to the States.”
Judge McConnell’s ruling supports a coalition of 22 US states that opposed a directive from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This directive aimed to halt federal aid and grant spending while officials reviewed compliance with several executive orders from the Trump administration. It was quickly rescinded by the OMB following widespread criticism, yet Judge McConnell indicated that the executive’s intent to freeze allocated funds persisted. He referenced a statement by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, which downplayed the significance of the OMB’s reversal.
The latest court ruling strengthens the temporary block on the administration’s efforts to freeze funds, providing additional relief as the states advocate for a long-term solution. Notably, this comes days after US District Judge Loren AliKhan granted an administrative stay, pausing the freeze for a week. The full arguments in Judge AliKhan’s case are scheduled to be heard on February 3.
For more detailed information, you can view the temporary block order here, and the original article by JURIST here.