A U.S. judge has extended an order preventing President Donald Trump’s administration from pausing trillions in federal funding, citing ongoing risks despite a memo withdrawal.
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan ruled that the administration's attempt to freeze grants, loans, and financial support lacked legal authority and posed a potential nationwide crisis. The ruling follows lawsuits from nonprofits and small businesses after the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a January 27 memo ordering federal agencies to halt financial assistance programs. The freeze aimed to align funding with Trump’s executive orders, including those ending diversity initiatives and climate change projects.
After legal challenges, the OMB withdrew the memo, but plaintiffs argued the policy remained in effect. They pointed to a statement by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on social media platform X, clarifying that the freeze itself had not been rescinded—only the memo. Judge AliKhan cited this as proof that the case was not moot and imposed a preliminary injunction to block any reinstatement of the funding pause.
The judge criticized the administration’s approach, calling it “ill-conceived” and lacking statutory justification. She emphasized that the decision either sought to halt $3 trillion in spending overnight or required agencies to conduct compliance reviews in an impractical timeframe.
Democracy Forward, representing the plaintiffs, welcomed the ruling, condemning what they called a politically motivated effort to harm Americans. The White House has yet to comment on the decision.
This legal battle underscores ongoing tensions over federal spending policies as the administration moves forward with its agenda.