OAKLAND, February 10, 2025 - In a decisive ruling today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ordered the Trump Administration to immediately restore billions in frozen federal funding that had been withheld from states across the nation.
The court's decision came after California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 23 state attorneys general filed a motion to enforce a previous court order that had blocked the administration's attempt to freeze up to $3 trillion in federal funding.
According to Attorney General Bonta, the Trump Administration had continued to block critical state funding more than a week after the initial court order, affecting programs under the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and National Institutes of Health allocations.
"No Administration is above the law," stated Bonta. "The court's decision today is unequivocal - the Trump Administration must fully comply and restore all federal funding while our litigation continues."
The legal challenge, led by California in partnership with New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Illinois, represents another successful effort by state attorneys general to check presidential executive power. The frozen funds had threatened California's domestic energy security initiatives and ongoing infrastructure projects.
The court's enforcement order requires immediate action from the Trump Administration to release all withheld funding, marking a clear victory for states seeking to protect their federal funding streams.
This latest ruling adds to a growing list of judicial decisions favoring state challenges against executive actions that attempt to withhold or restrict congressionally approved funding to states.
As the case moves forward, state attorneys general maintain their commitment to protecting state interests and ensuring federal funds reach their intended destinations.