On February 6, a federal judge expressed readiness to enforce his order blocking the Trump administration from freezing federal grants and loans. U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island held a virtual court hearing, acknowledging the ongoing concerns raised by Democratic-led states regarding the delayed access to billions of dollars in funding.
Judge McConnell issued the order on January 31 at the request of Democratic attorneys general from 22 states and the District of Columbia. Despite the White House's rescission of the funding freeze directive, McConnell found it necessary to uphold his order due to evidence suggesting that the policy was still in effect in substance.
During the hearing, a lawyer from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James highlighted the challenges state agencies were facing in accessing their entitled federal funds, despite the judge's clear order prohibiting any pause in funding. McConnell assured that he was prepared to enforce the order as written.
The judge tentatively scheduled a hearing for February 21 to consider issuing a longer preliminary injunction in the case. The White House did not provide an immediate response to the developments.
In a related court filing, the U.S. Justice Department stated that federal agencies were working to disburse funding as appropriate, with no known ongoing implementation of the Office of Management and Budget's directives.
Additionally, four Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Jeffrey Merkley, expressed concern in a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin about the reported freeze in funding from the agency. The EPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.