A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from linking billions of dollars in federal funding to compliance with anti-discrimination policies related to gender identity, transgender athletes, immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Biden-appointed District Judge Myong Joun granted a preliminary injunction sought by the attorneys general of more than 12 Democrat-run states and the District of Columbia.
The plaintiffs sued the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), claiming that it lacks the authority to impose such requirements and that they threatened essential nutritional and agricultural programs.
Judge Joun said he would issue a memorandum explaining his decision at a later date.
The preliminary injunction means the USDA cannot enforce the provisions being challenged while the lawsuit proceeds.
The provisions include prohibiting federal grant money from being used to “promote gender ideology,” or programs that “deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” and “allow illegal aliens to obtain taxpayer-funded benefits… or provide incentives for illegal immigration.”
The Democrat-led states argued the USDA had “thrown unconstitutional and unlawful roadblocks” between programs approved by Congress and states that need them for “critical nutrition support, vital agricultural research, and the safety of our national food chain and communities.”
Tens of billions of dollars are at issue.
Attorneys for the federal government argued the grant conditions were lawful and designed to promote the “sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” and ensure proper oversight of federal funds and compliance with federal laws and administration policies.
The Trump administration also argued that the harms cited were speculative, since the policies have not yet been applied to a number of programs such as SNAP, WIC and school-lunch programs.
The Epoch Times reports, “The administration has faced a series of legal challenges over efforts to restrict federal funding connected to DEI initiatives and other programs it says conflict with federal policy.
“Earlier this year, the same judge blocked the Department of Education from terminating a series of education grants that the administration said promoted DEI-related programs. In that case, Joun found that states challenging the grant cancellations were likely to succeed on claims that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to provide an adequate explanation for the terminations.
“The Trump administration appealed, arguing that federal courts were improperly interfering with executive branch decisions about federal grants and contracts.
“The Supreme Court later sided with the administration in that education grants dispute, allowing the government to continue withholding the grants while litigation proceeds. The high court said the federal government had shown it would likely suffer irreparable harm if forced to disburse funds that might never be recovered.”
