A federal judge ruled on Monday that the Trump administration has not fully complied with a court order to unfreeze federal spending and directed the White House to release billions of dollars in funding. The Trump administration swiftly appealed the decision.
U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell determined that the administration failed to adhere to his January 31 order, which blocked a planned freeze on federal spending. As a result, funding for programs such as early childhood education, pollution reduction, and HIV prevention research remains inaccessible. McConnell ordered the administration to take immediate steps to comply with his temporary restraining order, which also prevents cuts to billions of dollars in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health.
McConnell stated that the administration’s continued withholding of funds violates the restraining order and has caused widespread harm. His ruling follows recent disputes between the judiciary and the Trump administration over executive power. Other court rulings have temporarily blocked Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship, restrict access to Treasury Department records for billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and implement a mass deferred resignation plan for federal workers.
The White House did not immediately comment, but the Justice Department appealed the ruling to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. The administration maintains that it is making good-faith efforts to comply but argued that the court order only applied to a specific January memo that had already been rescinded. However, McConnell clarified that his order blocked a wide range of funding cuts.
The Trump administration had defended the spending freeze as an effort to align federal expenditures with the president’s policy agenda. The White House press secretary previously indicated that some funding pauses would continue as part of Trump’s executive actions, which include increasing fossil fuel production, rolling back protections for transgender individuals, and ending diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha praised McConnell’s decision, emphasizing the importance of upholding the law. Meanwhile, organizations relying on federal funding, such as the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, expressed frustration over the delays, stating that prolonged financial uncertainty threatens their ability to continue essential services.
