A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, four days ago, that blocks the Trump administration’s proposed freeze on federal funding, providing a significant victory for the coalition of 22 other states. The order, which will remain in effect until a ruling on a preliminary injunction, ensures the continuation of critical services for millions of Americans, including healthcare, law enforcement, and food assistance programs.
“This order makes clear that the Trump administration’s sweeping and reckless funding freeze is blocked for the time being. While we’re still in the early stages of this case, this initial ruling is great news,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Kaul . He continued, “Developments in the past few days have offered a glimpse into how radical and dangerous the Project 2025 agenda is. Thoughtlessly disrupting or dramatically cutting funding for public safety, educational programs, public health, and many other essential services threatens to cause serious damage to our communities. The Trump administration must reverse course and follow the law.”
“The power of the purse belongs to Congress – not the President of the United States,” said New York Attorney General Latita James. “Last week, I led a coalition of attorneys general in suing to stop this dangerous and chaotic policy, and we won a court order to stop it while our lawsuit proceeds. Now, New Yorkers can rest assured that federal funds for critical services – meals for our seniors, health care, community public safety, disaster relief, and so much more – are currently not at risk. I will continue to fight in court to defend the essential programs and services New Yorkers need.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy hailed the decision, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding resources for vulnerable communities. “Today’s victory ensures continued access to vital law enforcement protection, indispensable meal programs, essential health care options, and more for millions of Americans, including our children, veterans, and elders,” Murphy said. “We will continue to take all necessary actions to ensure our residents have access to the resources that are rightfully theirs.”
“I’m proud to be one step closer to permanently protecting funding for Arizona police officers, our drug cartel task forces, and critical public safety infrastructure, not to mention funding that helps Arizona families keep food on the table and the lights on,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. “I’m all for stamping out waste, fraud, and abuse — that’s what we do every day in the Attorney General’s office — but I will not allow Trump to shred the constitution and override funding already allocated to Arizona and other states by Congress.”
The lawsuit, filed on January 28, 2025, argued that the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal funding violated the U.S. Constitution and federal law by imposing new conditions on previously awarded funds. Despite the administration rescinding the memo hours before the hearing, the court ruled that the reversal did not change the substance of the freeze, noting that the President overstepped his authority and violated the separation of powers doctrine by overriding policy choices made by Congress.
“Trump’s lawless funding threats inflicted massive chaos and confusion on Connecticut families and across every level of government. This temporary restraining order provides court-ordered protection for Connecticut funding, but these threats are evolving and far from over. We’re going to stay in court for as long as it takes to protect Connecticut families and Connecticut’s economy,” said Connecticut’s Attorney General Tong.
“Despite President Trump’s actions since taking office, Jan. 20 was an inauguration – not a coronation of a leader to whom our nation’s Constitution does not apply. I am pleased the judge agreed with our coalition that the president cannot interrupt funding appropriated by the separate, but equal, legislative branch of government,” shared Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “Illinois relies on this federal funding to support our state’s most vulnerable residents who depend on Medicaid, to enhance public safety by protecting children from online predators, and to support the farming industry that serves as the backbone of Illinois’ economy. We will continue to fight the callous uncertainty this order has caused to hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents’ daily lives.”
“Today’s court decision reaffirms that the President cannot unilaterally take away federal funding, especially resources that our kids, seniors and economy rely on. His reckless actions unleashed chaos and confusion yet demonstrated the enormous power of attorneys general to fight back,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “My office will keep fighting to protect Massachusetts residents from these egregious and unlawful abuses of power.”
The funding freeze had put critical programs at risk, including WIC (nutrition support for pregnant individuals and infants), Head Start (early childhood education for low-income families), LIHEAP (home energy assistance), school meals for low-income students, and programs for homeless veterans and domestic violence victims. These programs, along with public safety initiatives such as Medicaid fraud investigations, support millions of people across New Jersey and the nation.
Joining New Jersey in the lawsuit are 22 other states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
“The Trump Administration is intentionally creating chaos through its public actions and statements, attempting to sow fear and confusion in our communities. We will not fall for this bait and switch. California has too much at stake. I am grateful for the court’s decision, and I will continue fighting to ensure that the President’s disastrous federal funding freeze never sees the light of day,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta
“This sudden freeze in federal funding is so sweeping that it could cause widespread and immediate harm across our state – delaying disaster recovery in our western counties, undercutting law enforcement, and affecting children and veterans. It violates constitutional power over federal spending, and I’m taking legal action to stop it,” said North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson
“This outcome reminds us that our country is still governed by the Constitution, even when we have a lawless president determined to sow disorder and eliminate vital programs,” Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said. “Now more than ever, states have a key role in upholding the rule of law.”
