Chicago – February 10, 2025
A U.S. judge ruled on Monday that the Trump administration broke a court order that was meant to stop a freeze on federal funding. This decision came after President Trump’s administration was told to lift the freeze, but a group of Democratic state attorneys general claimed that the government still wasn’t releasing the funds.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, had already blocked the freeze with a temporary order on January 31. However, the funding was still not being distributed.
Judge McConnell stated that the freeze was likely unconstitutional and caused serious harm to many people across the country. He emphasized that the government must release all funds immediately, at least until a hearing can be held to decide whether a longer-term order is necessary.
On February 6, a lawyer from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office told the judge that state agencies were still having trouble getting federal funds, including billions of dollars meant for infrastructure projects from the Inflation Reduction Act. The Trump administration has said it plans to appeal the judge’s decision.
