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A district judge has blocked the Trump admin from freezing $10 billion in federal funding for childcare and social services in five Democrat-run states.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled the administration must release funds for three social service programs that serve low-income families and individuals with disabilities for the next two weeks.
The ruling comes a day after the attorneys general of the five states—California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York—filed suit against the Trump admin.
The suit alleges the freeze was the result of “viral misinformation, political rhetoric and public threats from Trump and top officials,” Axios reports. The money was frozen, the states claim, without proper evidence, due process or legal authority.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul described the funding freeze as a “cruel and illegal attempt by the Trump administration to play politics with the lives of children and low-income families.”
“I remain committed to protecting Illinois residents from bearing the brunt of this president’s continued disregard for our Constitution and the rule of law,” he added.
Massive fraud, particularly in Minnesota, has become a national issue in recent weeks. President Trump has dubbed Minnesota, under Governor Tim Walz, a “hub of money laundering activity.”
A federal prosecutor has suggested more than $9 billion in federal funding sent to the state for health and welfare programs may have been stolen.
The Epoch Times notes, “A majority of the programs named as defendants were involved in child nutrition, housing, and autism services run by Somali Americans.”
In response to the controversy, Walz announced he would not be run for re-election as governor this year.
On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance announced the creation of a new federal position to investigate mass fraud.
“We are creating a new assistant attorney general position who will have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud,” Vance said during a White House press briefing.
“Now, of course that person’s efforts will start and focus primarily in Minnesota, but it is going to be a nationwide effort because unfortunately the American people have been defrauded in a very nationwide way.”
