 "Will Scharf assists as President Donald Trump signs an executive order at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. AP")
A US judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s freeze on all federal aid. The case will be heard on February 3.
The Trump administration on Monday froze all federal grants and loans. The move froze as much as $3 trillion that is lifeline to a host of government as well as private programmes across the United States, such as funds for schools, community health centre, and food for low-income families.
Judge Loren AliKhan of the District of Columbia on Tuesday stayed Trump’s freeze in response to a lawsuit by non-profit Democracy Forward. The lawsuit argued that the order violated the First Amendment and Amendment Procedure Act, a law that governs the authority of the Executive branch of the US government to make rules.
Even though the White House appeared to downplay the extent of the freeze, saying it did not “apply across-the-board” and was limited to programs implicated by Trump’s executive orders, including those “that undermine the national interest”, the language of the freeze order was sweeping and said federal agencies “must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance".
Despite the White House downplaying the freeze, a host of services across the United Stats were disrupted and even Republican states were pleading the federal government for guidance.
The New York Times reported that state health agencies said they had been locked out of their Medicaid reimbursement portals; state officials said funding for pre-schools, community health centers, food for low-income families, housing assistance, and disaster relief were all at risk, and universities were freezing new research grants.
The Times further reported that housing projects, highway construction, substance abuse treatment centres, and nursing care of veterans was also affected.
In addition the lawsuit by Democracy Forward, 22 statse and the District of Columbia have filed a second lawsuit to challenge Trump’s freeze.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThis is the second time in less than a week that a Trump’s order has been paused by a judge. Last week, Judge John C Coughenour of the Western District of Washington stayed Trump’s executive order to ban birthright citizenship. Coughenour said in his decision that Trump’s executive order was “blatantly unconstitutional”.