Judge temporarily halts Trump administration federal funding freeze

Judge AliKhan issues temporary halt to funding freeze

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to halt federal funding while his administration conducts a comprehensive ideological review aimed at eliminating progressive initiatives.

The U.S. government experienced its most chaotic day since President Donald Trump's return to office, as uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline caused panic and confusion among states, schools, and organizations relying on trillions of dollars from Washington.

U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the funding freeze just minutes before it was set to take effect. The administrative stay, prompted by a lawsuit from nonprofit groups receiving federal money, will last until Monday afternoon. Another court hearing is scheduled for that morning to address the issue.

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The White House did not immediately comment on the order, leaving unresolved a potential constitutional clash over control of taxpayer money. Democrats, who have struggled to gain a foothold during President Donald Trump's second term, criticized the Republican president's actions as capricious and illegal.

Chaos ensues over funding uncertainty; legal battles begin

Administration officials defended the decision to halt loans and grants, stating it was necessary to ensure spending compliance with Trump's recent blitz of executive orders.

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However, a vaguely worded memo from the Office of Management and Budget, combined with incomplete answers from the White House, left lawmakers, public officials, and average Americans struggling to determine which programs would be affected by the pause.

Even temporary interruptions in funding could cause layoffs or delays in public services.

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Democrats challenge President Trump's spending halt

Democrats argued that the president had no right to unilaterally stop spending money appropriated by Congress. Just minutes after AliKhan issued her ruling, Democratic attorneys general from 22 states and the District of Columbia filed their own lawsuit seeking to block and permanently prevent the administration from cutting off federal funding.

AliKhan, appointed by President Joe Biden, questioned the clarity of the funding freeze details as she issued her order.

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"It seems like the federal government currently doesn't actually know the full extent of the programs that are going to be subject to the pause," she said.

Trump administration officials said programs providing direct assistance to Americans, such as Medicare, Social Security, student loans, and food stamps, would not be affected. However, they sometimes struggled to provide a clear picture.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially would not say whether Medicaid was exempted from the freeze, but the administration later clarified that it was.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press.

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