BREAKING: Federal judge ‘pauses’ Trump’s temp freeze on domestic grants for DEI, woke gender ideology, Green New Deal after NGOs bring suit

According to Reuters, US District Judge Loren AliKhan in a Washington, DC hearing ordered that the Trump administration not block "open awards," which are funds that were already set to be disbursed. The block will last until at least February 3, when another hearing is set to take place to determine next steps.

The suit was brought forth by The National Council of Nonprofits, the American Public Health Association, Main Street Alliance and SAGE. The judge said the temporary ruling was intended to "maintain the status quo," and does not block the Trump administration from freezing funding to new programs.

The groups sued earlier on Tuesday ahead of the 5 pm effective time of the directive issued by the US Office of Management and Budget. They said that the office lacked the authority to unilaterally terminate federal financial assistance programs across the government. They also said that the directive targets grant recipients based in part on their rights under the First Amendment.

Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the Trump White House Office of Management and Budget, directed agencies to "temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance" and that "each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive orders." Programs implicated by executive orders from Trump include "financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal."

The ruling is separate from another suit brought forth against the Trump administration over the pause on funding. The separate suit was brought forth by 23 attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Bonta said, "The Trump Administration is recklessly disregarding the health, wellbeing, and public safety of the people it is supposed to serve. This directive is unprecedented in scope and would be devastating if implemented. Already, it has created chaos and confusion among our residents. I will not stand by while the President attempts to disrupt vital programs that feed our kids, provide medical care to our families, and support housing and education in our communities. Instead of learning from the defeats of his first Administration, President Trump is once again plowing ahead with a damaging – and most importantly, unlawful – agenda. I’m proud to co-lead a coalition of attorneys general in taking him to court."