Judge skeptical of Trump admin’s funding freeze defense

By Pamela King | 02/03/2025 02:00 PM EST

The Justice Department argued in a Washington court that litigation against the administration is moot now that the White House has rescinded a memo detailing the pause.

Donald Trump

President Donald Trump listens to a question in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday. Evan Vucci/AP

A federal judge in Washington said she is inclined to extend her order blocking the Trump administration’s pause on federal funding and grants.

At the close of a hearing Monday, Judge Loren AliKhan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said she is unconvinced by the Justice Department’s argument that nonprofit groups have no case against the Trump administration’s funding freeze now that the Office of Management and Budget has rescinded a memo guiding the suspension.

She also said she is inclined to grant a temporary restraining order before her initial order is set to expire at 5 p.m. EST Monday.

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During the hearing, DOJ attorney Daniel Schwei argued that in the absence of the OMB memo, the groups must instead sue over individual grants withheld by specific agencies.

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