Trump administration can't block child care, other program money for these 5 states, federal judge rules
FILE - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building is seen on March 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration cannot block funding for child care subsidies and other programs that support children in need in five Democratic-led states.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it wanted to pause the funding because it had "reason to believe" the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally, though it did not provide evidence or explain why it was targeting those particular states.
Which states were involved?
Dig deeper:
The states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York argued that a policy announced Tuesday to freeze funds for three grant programs is having an immediate impact on them and creating "operational chaos."
In court filings and a hearing earlier Friday, the states contended that the government did not have a legal reason for holding back the money from those states.
The five states said they receive a total of more than $10 billion a year from the programs.
Which programs were being targeted?
The programs are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for children from low-income families; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs.
What they're saying:
The states argued that the effort was unconstitutional and was intended to go after President Donald Trump’s political adversaries rather than to stamp out fraud in government programs — something the states said they already do.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press.