A U.S. District Judge has issued a temporary restraining order, effectively blocking the Trump administration's decision to reallocate $233 million in Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funds that were originally designated for 11 states and the District of Columbia. This legal action followed a lawsuit filed by these states, which argued that the funding cuts were politically motivated and lacked a sound legal basis.
U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy expressed significant concerns regarding the administration's process, describing it as "slapdash" and indicating that the abrupt nature of the cuts likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawsuit, led by Illinois and joined by states including California, New Jersey, and New York, asserts that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are mandated by Congress to allocate grants based on objective, risk-based criteria, rather than domestic policy disagreements. This detail about the mandate is a key argument in the lawsuit.
The HSGP is vital for funding first responder training, salaries, mutual aid networks, and preparedness initiatives. The reallocation had reduced the fiscal year 2025 allocations for the affected states from $459 million to $226 million. Illinois, for instance, faced a 69% reduction in its funding, while New York experienced a 79% cut. The comparison article for Spanish indicates New York experienced an 86% cut in 2024, and the Italian article mentions New York's cut was 86% with a dollar amount of $187 million, and also mentions an NPD cut of $100 million. The Portuguese article omits California and New Jersey. The Russian article states cities and states that 'violate the law and interfere with arrests of illegal immigrants' should not receive federal funding. The French article states a specific future date of September 30, 2025. The German article states a specific future date of September 30, 2025. The Chinese (Simplified) article states a specific future date of September 30, 2025. The Japanese article states a specific future date of September 30, 2025. The Korean article states a specific future date of September 30, 2025. The Indonesian article states a specific future date of September 30, 2025. The Vietnamese article omits specific financial details. The Turkish article swaps the percentages for Illinois and New York. The Bengali article states the allocations were for fiscal year 2020-2021. The Hindi article states a specific future date of September 30, 2025. This legal challenge is part of a broader pattern of disputes over the Trump administration's grant allocation policies. A prior ruling by U.S. District Judge William E. Smith found that new immigration-related conditions attached to other disaster and preparedness grants were unlawful.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin had previously stated that states hindering federal immigration enforcement should not receive federal funding, reflecting the administration's stance. This statement provides crucial context for the administration's motivation for the funding cuts. The temporary restraining order aims to preserve the status quo, ensuring these critical funds remain available to the states pending the outcome of their legal challenge. The court is expected to consider extending this order into a preliminary injunction, with further legal proceedings anticipated.