Biden-Appointed Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Freeze On Federal Grants

A U.S. district judge issued an injunction Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s executive order to temporarily freeze funding on federal aid programs.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, issued a temporary injunction against the Trump administration’s plan, citing the need for additional time to assess the broader implications of the executive order, according to Politico. The court’s decision effectively prevents the suspension of any funds allocated by Congress until 5 p.m. EST on Feb. 3.

AliKhan said the decision was a “brief administrative stay” to preserve the current conditions pending further judicial review. The judgment applies solely to current programs that were at risk of having their funding suspended.

“I think there is the specter of irreparable harm,” said AliKhan.

It was revealed in an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo on Monday that the administration imposed a temporary halt on federal aid. The moratorium, which broadly covers grants related to diversity and foreign aid, does not specifically outline which grants will be affected.

Under this moratorium, agencies are mandated to report to the OMB by Feb. 10 which of their programs and activities have been halted. The White House clarified on Tuesday that the pause would only affect spending potentially violating Trump’s recent executive directives concerning diversity and energy.

The decision to freeze loans and grants was essential to align spending with Trump’s slew of recent executive orders, according to administrative officials.