Special Poll
A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to comply with his directive to unfreeze federal grants, following complaints from attorneys general in multiple Democratic-led states that the administration was not following through on the ruling.
In a brief order issued Monday, U.S. District Judge John McConnell instructed the administration to “immediately” lift any pause on federal funding while he deliberates on whether to impose a permanent block on the freeze amid ongoing litigation. He specifically stated that the withheld funds that must be restored include those allocated under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—both championed by former President Biden—as well as grants designated for institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
McConnell emphasized that the broad and sweeping freeze on federal funds is likely unconstitutional and has caused significant and ongoing harm across the country. His ruling follows the Trump administration’s move last month, when the Office of Management and Budget issued a directive instructing federal agencies to halt the disbursement of grants while the administration reviewed spending to ensure it aligned with Trump’s policy agenda. The directive sparked legal challenges and widespread confusion before it was officially withdrawn.
Despite the rescission of the memo, McConnell argued that the administration’s reversal was largely symbolic. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had clarified on social media that the withdrawal only applied to the memo itself, not the broader freeze on funding. In his previous ruling, McConnell suggested that the administration’s decision to withdraw the memo may have been a strategic move to avoid judicial scrutiny, while the actual impact of the funding freeze remained in place.