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Judge orders temporary reversal of Trump admin’s freeze on foreign aid

A federal judge late Thursday issued an order compelling the Trump administration to lift its three-week funding freeze on U.S. foreign aid.

Judge Amir Ali issued the order Thursday in U.S. district court in Washington in a lawsuit brought by two health organizations that receive U.S. funding for programs abroad.

In his order, Ali noted that the Trump administration argued it had to shut down funding for the thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development aid programs abroad to conduct a thorough review of each program and whether it should be eliminated.

TRUMP TEMPORARILY THWARTED IN DOGE MISSION TO END USAID

A bouquet of white flowers placed outside the headquarters of the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, is pictured, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

But the judge said that Trump officials failed to explain why a “blanket suspension” of foreign aid programs was necessary before the programs were more thoroughly reviewed.

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USAID was established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, operating as an independent agency that works closely with the State Department to allocate civilian foreign aid. Under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the agency could be abolished after its reorganization over the coming days, he said in a letter to bipartisan lawmakers on Feb. 3.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.

February 14, 2025
Trump funding freeze judge hit with impeachment threat by House lawmaker

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is threatening to file articles of impeachment against a federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze.

“I’m drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.,” Clyde wrote on X.

“He’s a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending. We must end this abusive overreach. Stay tuned.”

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

U.S. District Judge John McConnell, inset, is under fire by President Donald Trump’s allies after he blocked a federal funding freeze, (Getty)

U.S. District Judge John McConnell filed a new motion Monday ordering the Trump administration to comply with a restraining order issued Jan. 31, temporarily blocking the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans.

McConnell’s original restraining order came after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration’s actions to hold up funds for grants, such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other Environmental Protection Agency programs. However, the states said Friday that the administration is not following through and funds are still tied up.

A three-judge panel on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal of the order on Tuesday.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, pictured here, pledged to work up articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge John McConnell. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

McConnell has come under fire by Trump supporters and conservatives who have accused him of being a liberal activist.

Clyde and others have cited a video of McConnell in 2021 saying courts must “stand and enforce the rule of law, that is, against arbitrary and capricious actions by what could be a tyrant or could be whatnot.”

“You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, white, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be — whatever,” McConnell said in the video, according to WPRI.

Elon Musk wrote on X in response, “Impeach this activist posing as a judge! Such a person does great discredit to the American justice system.”

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS

Clyde confirmed he was preparing articles of impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

“For a federal judge to deny the executive their legitimate right to exercise their authority is wrong,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “This type of judge, this political activist – this radical political activist – should be removed from the bench.”

Elon Musk has called for that judge and others to be impeached. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

When reached for a response to Clyde’s threat, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island said McConnell “often sits down with members of the media upon request” but did not comment on pending cases.

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Trump’s allies have been hammering the judges who have issued a series of decisions curbing the president’s executive orders.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., threatened to prepare impeachment articles against another judge earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. Southern District of New York, for blocking Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury records.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

February 13, 2025
Sen. Schiff urges Trump admin to exclude firefighters from federal hiring freeze

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., called on multiple federal agencies to exempt federal seasonal firefighters from President Donald Trump’s executive order implementing a federal hiring freeze.

In a letter to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget, Schiff noted that Trump’s hiring freeze issued on Jan. 20 had stopped the onboarding of thousands of seasonal firefighters that could harm readiness to respond to wildfires, as Southern California is still grappling with the aftermath of last month’s wildfires.

“The memo issued on January 20 states that it does not apply to positions related to public safety, but this onboarding delay is directly contrary to that claim,” Schiff said in the letter dated Friday. “Our constituents and communities rely on the hard work and sacrifice of our more than 15,000 seasonal federal wildland firefighters each year.”

LOS ANGELES FIRE VICTIMS TO BE BOOTED FROM RED CROSS SHELTER TO MAKE SPACE FOR FILM CREWS, EVENTS

Adam Schiff talks to the media after voting at McCambridge Recreation Center in Burbank on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

“Seasonal firefighters are essential to the public safety of those who live in fire-prone areas, and I am alarmed that federal firefighters are not party to this exemption,” he said. “In light of this, I am requesting information from your agencies explaining why the federal hiring freeze has extended to the hiring of seasonal federal wildland firefighters.”

Southern California was devastated last month by two major wildfires and several smaller ones that killed nearly 30 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures.

Some of the firefighters subject to Trump’s order that halted the onboarding of thousands of seasonal federal firefighters were from agencies that helped in the response to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, according to NBC News.

A Fire firefighter works a fire during the Eaton fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A Bureau of Land Management official told the outlet that despite Trump’s order excluding positions related to “public safety” from the hiring freeze, federal firefighters are not exempt.

“In the face of increasingly destructive wildfires, we cannot afford to diminish the tools at our disposal to fight these fires,” Schiff said in his letter. “Impeding the onboarding of federal firefighters and encouraging the early retirement of others, threatens California’s firefighting capacity and puts communities at great risk. Californians rely on the support of federal firefighters, and I hope you share my appreciation for the essential role these individuals play in keeping residents safe.”

TABLES TURN ON LOS ANGELES ARSON SUSPECT IN CAUGHT-ON-CAM TAKEDOWN: ‘WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD, BUDDY’

Vehicles and a house burned as powerful winds fueling devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area forced people to evacuate the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, Jan. 8, 2025. (REUTERS/David Swanson)

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The senator also requested information on how the hiring freeze impacts federal firefighting applicants, the number of voluntary resignations and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency’s role in the hiring, preparedness or readiness of federal wildland firefighters.

February 9, 2025
Sec. Noem says Homeland Security will freeze grants to non-governmental organizations

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Wednesday the department has stopped all grant funding to nonprofits that operate outside of government control, saying they have been “perverted into a shadow government” that feeds illegal immigration.

Noem said some non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which receive millions in federal grants, have been facilitating illegal immigration by helping aliens cross the U.S. border.

“Many of these NGOs actually have infrastructure and operations set up in Mexico, on that side of the border, and are telling those illegal immigrants to come to them, and they will get them across the border,” Noem said on Fox News Channel’s Will Cain Show. “So they’re not just operating in the United States, they’re operating outside the United States to help make it easier for those who want to break our laws.”

Homeland Security Kristi Noem joins an ICE raid in New York City on Tuesday. Noem said communities will be safer because of targeted raids that go after criminal illegal immigrants. (Department of Homeland Security)

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS 969 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS IN ONE DAY: ‘HERE ARE SOME OF THE WORST’

The first step to curbing the issue is to freeze the funds, reevaluate them, and make sure taxpayer dollars are going toward safe causes, she said.

“I think people are curious [to see how] grants that are given out by federal agencies [are] utilized,” Noem said.

Until an evaluation is completed, Noem said the department is “not spending another dime to help the destruction of this country.”

This photo shows migrants at the southern border encountered in Arizona. (U.S. Border Patrol)

She added not all NGOs are what they appear to be, and some could be a risk to national security.

“When somebody said NGO to me, I thought that [was] a nonprofit telling somebody about Jesus or spreading faith and salvation…,” Noem said. “Then I realized over the years, it’s been perverted into this shadow government.”

Noem explained that NGOs create an entity to use taxpayer dollars, funding an operation the federal government cannot legally implement itself.

TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN

Recently, she said they have been used to undermine the country’s national security.

Approximately 1.5 million NGOs operate in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of State.

A sign is posted at the U.S. Border Patrol station where lawyers reported that detained migrant children had been held unbathed and hungry on June 26, 2019, in Clint, Texas. Nearly 100 children were sent back to the troubled facility yesterday after it had been cleared of 249 children just days earlier. Acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) John Sanders submitted his resignation in the wake of the scandal. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NGOs can range from political advocacy groups, to religious volunteer organizations or labor unions.

There are no laws prohibiting foreign funding of NGOs, whether that be from other governments or non-government sources, according to the State Department.

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In 2024, the U.S. spent more than $380 million on sheltering and service programs for illegal immigrants.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

January 29, 2025
Democrats coordinate multi-state response to Trump’s funding freeze

Morally indignant Senate Democrats piled on President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze Wednesday, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announcing a coordinated response with Democratic governors to come.

The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo on Monday issuing a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency. The memo claims nearly $3 trillion was spent in 2024 on such assistance programs.

The White House insists this freeze does not touch programs including Social Security, Medicare, or other entitlement payments, but Schumer called Trump’s action “chaotic,” “careless,” and “cruel” at the Democratic leadership’s weekly press briefing.

“In one instant, in the blink of an eye, in the dark of night, Donald Trump committed one of the cruelest actions that I have seen the federal government do in a very long time,” Schumer said, claiming Trump had shut off “billions, maybe trillions of dollars that average American families need.”

FEDERAL JUDGE PAUSES TRUMP ADMIN’S TEMPORARY FEDERAL GRANTS, LOANS FREEZE

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks on the Trump Administration’s federal air freeze during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Also pictured is Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The minority leader said there are ongoing discussions between Capitol Hill Democrats and various Democratic governors on a coordinated response to Trump’s action. Two dozen blue state attorneys general have already announced legal action to keep the federal grant, loan and other aid flowing.

Democrats said they have received an avalanche of phone calls from local officials, non-governmental organizations, charities and individual constituents demanding to know if OMB’s memo meant taxpayer dollars they rely on to serve people were about to disappear.

“Chaos reigned. I got calls from a whole lot of Republican town supervisors and mayors, asking, what about flood prevention? What about sewer construction projects?” Schumer said. He recounted additional calls from food bank operators, nonprofit groups that treat addiction and church groups worried they would not be able to make payroll.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that the OMB memo would not impact individuals who receive direct assistance from the federal government. She described the pause as “temporary” and likened it to simultaneous efforts by the Trump administration to freeze hiring and regulations in an effort to shrink the government.

FACT OR FICTION: WILL TRUMP’S FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE IMPACT STUDENT LOANS, GRANTS?

Schumer points to a chart showing programs at risk from Trump’s federal funding freeze. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo, obtained by Fox Digital, reads.

A federal judge on Tuesday imposed a stay on Trump’s action, delaying it until Monday as a torrent of lawsuits against the administration were announced this week.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday led a coalition of 22 other attorneys general suing to stop the implementation of the memo.

In a statement from James’ office, she said the policy “puts an indefinite pause on the majority of federal assistance to states” and would “immediately jeopardize state programs that provide critical health and childcare services to families in need, deliver support to public schools, combat hate crimes and violence against women, provide life-saving disaster relief to states, and more.”

‘ANSWERED THIS QUESTION FOUR TIMES’: LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA’S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Republicans have mostly backed Trump, insisting that the new presidential administration has a right to examine how taxpayer dollars are spent.

“This is not unusual for an administration to pause funding and to take a hard look and scrub of how these programs are being spent and how they interact with a lot of the executive orders that the president signed,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters, though he expressed hope that the White House would “further clarify what exactly will be impacted by this.”

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Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democratic appropriator, said Trump’s actions have endangered chances for a bipartisan spending agreement when the government funding deadline arrives in March.

“It is extremely difficult to agree to a compromise on anything if the White House is going to assert that they control the funds, we don’t,” Murray said. “So this is really putting that in jeopardy.”

Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.

January 29, 2025
Judge pauses Trump administration’s federal funding freeze

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the pause on federal financial assistance will not include food stamps, Social Security, or Medicare and welfare benefits.

A federal judge on Tuesday paused the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget memo, which aimed to freeze funding to various federal programs.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan for the District of Columbia, a judge appointed by former President Joe Biden, imposed an administrative stay on Tuesday afternoon, pausing the Trump administration’s action.

AliKhan ordered the pause on disbursements be stayed until Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.

During a virtual court hearing, AliKhan heard from a Department of Justice lawyer and a lawyer for the plaintiffs, as the 5 p.m. deadline for federal funding was ticking down.

A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s temporary federal funding freeze.

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

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AliKhan scheduled a hearing on the full temporary restraining order for Feb. 3 at 11 a.m.

Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the federal grants and loans pause would not impact individual assistance going directly to Americans.

January 28, 2025
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Foreign Aid Freeze

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

-FBI director nominee Kash Patel broke hostage rescue protocol: whistleblower

-Freshman GOP lawmaker rallies behind Trump’s rapid illegal immigration crackdown: ‘No time to waste’

–The JFK files: Here’s what’s happened since their original planned release

Workers on Leave

Dozens of senior officials in the U.S. agency that administers foreign aid were reportedly placed on leave Monday amid an investigation into alleged resistance to President Donald Trump’s orders.

At least 56 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officials were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits, Politico first reported. Several hundred contractors based in Washington and elsewhere were also laid off, a current and a former official told the Associated Press.

These actions come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on Trump’s executive order, paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID. The 90-day pause has halted thousands of U.S.-funded humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide and forced aid organizations to lay off hundreds of employees because they can’t make payroll…Read more

FILE – USAID humanitarian aid destined for Venezuela is displayed for the media at a warehouse next to the Tienditas International Bridge on the outskirts of Cucuta, Colombia, Feb. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File) President Donald Trump (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File | SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

White House

FUNDING ON HOLD: Trump admin to pause financial assistance programs…Read more

REFOCUSING THE FORCES: Trump signs executive orders banning ‘radical gender ideology,’ DEI initiatives in the military…Read more

END THE ‘WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT’: Trump admin pauses federal grants, demands return to office details in memo blitz…Read more

BEAT THE PRESS: Trump White House press secretary mixes it up with reporters…Read more

White House press secretary holds her first briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Getty )

World Stage

‘WE ARE UNWAVERING’: Rubio’s State Dept caps migration-heavy first week with Colombia deportation win…Read more

NATIONAL SECURITY RISK?: China’s influence on Panama Canal poses ‘acute’ danger to US interests, Cruz warns…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘SAFEGUARDING THE INNOCENT’: Ogles and other Republicans push federal ban on chemical abortions…Read more

KEEP ‘EM ROLLING: Sean Duffy latest Trump Cabinet to pass Senate on bipartisan vote…Read more

Sean Duffy, former Republican Representative from Wisconsin and US secretary of the transportation nominee for US President-elect Donald Trump, during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Getty Images)

BATTLEGROUND SHOCKER: Gary Peters, Democratic senator from Trump state, won’t seek re-election…Read more

SENATOR PETE?: Buttigieg giving ‘serious look’ to 2026 run in state Trump carried…Read more

NEW DIRECTION: Ratcliffe, allies promise workforce changes at CIA….Read more

Across America

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE: USAID workers put on leave as Trump officials investigate resistance…Read more

DC CORRUPTION?: Councilmember faces expulsion hearing over federal bribery charge…Read more

SANCTUARY STORM: Kristi Noem joins immigration raid to catch ‘dirtbags’ in Democrat-run city…Read more

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem participates in an immigration in New York City. (Department of Homeland Security)

NEW GIG: Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff lands private sector job days after leaving DC…Read more

BOTTOMS UP: Former Atlanta mayor mulls Georgia gubernatorial run…Read more

WILDFIRES: Trump claims military entered California to release water flow, but state says that did not happen…Read more

‘COMPLETELY IMPROPER’: ‘Non-sanctuary’ coastal enclave sues CA for right to enforce its own laws…Read more

NEW GUIDANCE: HHS will reevaluate programs, regulations to ensure taxpayer money not paying for elective abortions…Read more

‘JUST LIKE TRUMP’: ISIS murder victim Kayla Mueller’s parents endorse Patel for FBI…Read more

FBI Director nominee Kash Patel gestures as he walks on stage to speak during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Getty Images)

‘SYSTEMATIC EFFORT’: Illinois ‘super mayor’ conducted cover-up of excessive spending, Lightfoot investigation finds…Read more

‘CLEAR EYES AND NO BIAS’: Dozens of former intel officials urge senators to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as DNI…Read more

‘UNLAWFULLY TRANSFERRED’: Trans inmate’s lawsuit challenges Trump ‘two-sexes’ order cutting off tax money for gender therapy…Read more

‘UNDO THE DAMAGE’: Texas lawmaker launches strategy to help ICE amid Trump deportation blitz…Read more

BACKING THE BLUE: ‘Defund the police’ movement turned on its head as sheriff touts achievements in state’s ‘murder capital’…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

This article was written by Fox News staff.

January 28, 2025
White House sets record straight about impact of Trump’s federal funding freeze

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the pause on federal financial assistance will not include food stamps, Social Security, or Medicare and welfare benefits.

Following the temporary freeze on federal assistance, ordered by the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Americans may be wondering if the freeze will impact them.

In her first official press briefing Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the federal grants and loans pause will not impact individual assistance going directly to Americans.

The OMB confirmed the freeze does not apply to student loans and Pell Grants, as the order clearly states financial assistance to “individuals” is exempt.

The pause, which will take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday and remain in effect pending a review by the Trump administration, will also not impact Social Security, food stamps, or Medicare and welfare benefits, Leavitt confirmed.

BIDEN’S LATEST ROUND OF STUDENT LOAN HANDOUTS BRINGS ADMIN TOTAL TO MORE THAN 5 MILLION

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday. (AP / AP Images)

FOX Business previously reported the pause is limited to programs, projects and activities that may be impacted by President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

Some of those programs include diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the Green New Deal, and funding nongovernmental organizations that contradict the national interest.

Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. ( Samuel Corum/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

After agencies complete a comprehensive analysis of their federal financial assistance programs, which will be required by Feb. 10, they will be reviewed for consistency with the president’s priorities.

The memo noted the federal government spent more than $3 trillion on federal assistance in the 2024 fiscal year, according to previous reporting.

NEW YORK REPUBLICAN PROPOSES TO SLASH STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified what will be impacted by President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal assistance. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told The Wall Street Journal that the freeze “will mean missed payrolls and rent payments and everything in between: chaos for everything from universities to non-profit charities, state disaster assistance, local law enforcement, aid to the elderly, and food for those in need.”

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FOX Business requested comment from Schumer following Leavitt’s remarks, but did not immediately receive a response.

The pause could be as short as a day, White House officials told FOX Business. Agencies can also request exemptions on a case-by-case basis.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this story.

January 28, 2025
Non-profits, health and LGBTQ advocacy groups sue Trump admin over federal aid freeze

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., federal court, was launched by the National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, the Main Street Alliance, and SAGE against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and acting director of OMB, Matthew Vaeth.

The parties are asking the court to impose a temporary restraining order “to maintain the status quo until the Court has an opportunity to more fully consider the illegality of OMB’s actions.”

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PLACES 60 DEI EMPLOYEES ON LEAVE WITH SALARIES TOTALING MORE THAN $8M

The suit was filed after the Trump administration went on a memo blitz Monday, sending at least three letters to federal agency leaders on directives covering topics including return to office instructions and pausing federal grants. Fox News Digital obtained copies of the memos.

One specific memo issued by OMB pauses all federal grants and loans in an effort to end “‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government,” and to promote “efficiency in government.”

Trump signed two executive orders Monday taking aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo reads.

TRUMP’S FEDERAL DEI PURGE PUTS HUNDREDS ON LEAVE, NIXES $420M IN CONTRACTS

The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The lawsuit argues that the parties will suffer harm as a result of the federal aid freeze given their reliance on federal funding.

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid. (Joan Slatkin/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

SAGE’s CEO, Michael Adams — whose organization describes itself as “dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults,” per the court filing — told Fox News Digital in a statement that the freeze “would devastate the lives of older Americans — including LGBTQ+ elders who already face unique challenges.”

TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWNS LAUDED FOR BRINGING MERIT BACK TO MEDICINE: ‘MAKE HEALTHCARE GREAT AGAIN’

“This reckless decision puts entire communities at risk. We must work together now to protect our older neighbors, friends, and loved ones before it’s too late,” Adams said.

Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer said the federal grant freeze “will have a devastating impact on small businesses nationwide” and called the move a “Draconian shuttering of the federal purse.”

A handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal aid. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Diane Yentel, President & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits called the directive a “reckless action” by the Trump administration that would prove to be “catastrophic for nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve.”

“From pausing research on cures for childhood cancer to halting housing and food assistance, shuttering domestic violence and homeless shelters, and closing suicide hotlines, the impact of even a short pause in funding could be devastating and cost lives,” Yentel said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “This order must be halted immediately before such avoidable harm is done.”

TRUMP TARGETS CULTURE WAR LIGHTNING RODS IN EARLY SLATE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

The memo explained that out of the $10 trillion spent by the federal government in fiscal year 2024, $3 trillion of that total was allocated to “federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans.”

Vaeth sent the memo to all heads of executive departments and agencies.

Trump also signed two executive orders Monday taking aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government.

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The orders, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” and “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” should be in the process of being implemented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the secretary of Homeland Security within 30 days.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

January 28, 2025
NIH says research, clinical studies can continue amid HHS freeze

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Acting Director Matthew Memoli sought to clarify the extent of the Trump administration’s freeze on communications and other functions within the Health and Human Services Department, which has raised concern among agency officials and lawmakers.

Memoli’s memo, sent Monday to leaders across the NIH’s more than two dozen centers and institutions, said the freeze had been issued to “allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization,” but noted that due to “confusion on the scope of the pause” he wanted to provide additional guidance.

The internal memo was first reported by STAT News .The NIH did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWNS LAUDED FOR BRINGING MERIT BACK TO MEDICINE: ‘MAKE HEALTHCARE GREAT AGAIN’

Last week, the new Trump administration abruptly paused external communications at HHS through the first of next month. In addition to halting announcements, press releases, website and social media posts, new guidance, and new regulations, the freeze also halted public appearances and travel by agency officials, and prohibited new purchases or service requests related to agency work.

A scientist demonstrates pipetting viscous genomic DNA at the NIH Intramural Sequencing Center in Rockville, MD on April 13, 2023.

The move caused anger and confusion among both HHS officials and those in the broader medical community. Following the directive, scientific meetings and grant reviews were canceled, raising significant concerns about the impact on research.

“We write to express our grave concerns about actions that have taken place in recent days that potentially disrupt lifesaving research being conducted and supported by the National Institutes of Health,” a trio of Democratic lawmakers from Maryland said in a Monday letter to HHS’s Acting Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink. “Without quick corrective action, the consequences of further disruption could be disastrous.”

According to Memoli’s memo, while agency officials are not permitted to begin new research while the pause is in effect, any research or clinical trials initiated before Jan. 20 can keep going “so that this work can continue, and we do not lose our investment in these studies.” Officials working on these studies may also purchase any “necessary supplies” and conduct meetings related to such work. Although new research projects are still prohibited, NIH staff can continue submitting papers to medical journals and can communicate with those journals about submitted work.

TRUMP AND A HEALTHIER AMERICA WELCOMED BY DOCTORS: ‘NEW GOLDEN AGE’

A seal that reads “U.S. Public Health Service” adorns a building on the campus of the National Institutes of Health, March 9, 2001, in Bethesda, Maryland. (Mark Wilson/Newsmakers)

The freeze on purchases was further clarified by Memoli’s memo, which indicated that while the pause remains, purchases “directly related to human safety, human or animal healthcare, security, biosafety, biosecurity, or IT security,” can continue. Travel and hiring for such work can continue as well, Memoli indicated, but his office must grant specific exemptions for new hires as President Donald Trump also initiated a freeze on the hiring of new federal civilian employees across all agencies during his first week in office.

Routine travel planned for after Feb. 1 “does not need to be canceled at this time,” Memoli added. Patients receiving treatment at NIH facilities can also continue to do so.

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Meanwhile, external communications will continue to be prohibited except for “announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical.” On Monday, amid the freeze, Fink announced that HHS would begin evaluating its current practices to ensure they meet federal requirements under the Hyde Amendment, a law prohibiting the use of federal funds for non-medically necessary, elective abortions.

One subject area that was notably absent from Memoli’s memo to federal health leaders was clarifications around grant review meetings. However, the acting director’s memo concluded by indicating that further guidance is expected to be made available later this week.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building, also known as the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, is located at the foot of Capitol Hill in the nation’s capital. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

While the pause at HHS has caused a firestorm of concern and criticism, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist who is now the dean of the University of Nebraska’s school of public health, Dr. Ali Khan, told the Associated Press that such pauses are not unusual. Khan said concern is only warranted if the pause was aimed at “silencing the agencies around a political narrative.”

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“I think the intention of such a chaotic freezing of communications was to scare us, to demoralize us, and to set science back a bit in an effort to make us look bad,” said a long-time NIH staffer who spoke to Forbes on the condition of anonymity. “We are by no means perfect, but, ffs, our job is literally to enable research to save lives, what the heck?”

January 28, 2025