Judge Extends Block on Federal Funding Freeze Which Could Have Forced Major Cutbacks in Pasadena

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has extended a temporary block on a controversial plan by the Trump administration to freeze federal funding on grants and loans that primarily fund nonprofits.

The order blocks the Trump administration from locking up $3 trillion dollars as the administration reshapes its policies to match Trump’s opposition to progressive and liberal groups, including woke and gender ideology.

The organization originally announced the freeze last week, but Judge Loren AliKhan placed a temporary injunction on the order about 30 minutes before it was set to begin.

At that point, groups were already reporting they could not access already approved funds.

The freeze sent cities across the country, including Pasadena, into panic mode as they attempted to figure out how much they could lose in federal funding. About 70% of the funding from the City’s health department comes from grants. It is not know how many of those grants come from the federal government.

On Monday several nonprofit organizations reported they were still struggling to access promised funding.

Groups ranging from childcare providers to disability services reported issues on Monday.

The hearing was held despite an announcement by the Trump administration that the funding freeze has been, However, the administration has indicated that a similar pause in spending is still being considered as part of President Trump’s broader push for executive orders, according to AliKhan.

In Rhode Island, another federal judge also blocked a federal spending freeze following a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen Democratic states.

AliKhan called consequences of the freeze “potentially catastrophic” for these organizations.

Lawyers from the advocacy group Democracy Forward, representing the nonprofits, argued that the funding freeze violates federal law, threatens the survival of nonprofits, and infringes on their First Amendment rights.