A U.S. federal judge has accused the Trump administration of disregarding a court order that blocked the freezing of billions in federal aid, issuing a new mandate requiring immediate compliance.
Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled Monday, February 10, 2025, that the administration must restore funding while the court considers a preliminary injunction request. The judge stated that the Executive Branch lacks the legal authority to unilaterally withhold these funds.
The case, brought by a coalition of 22 states, argues that the administration has continued to improperly freeze federal grants in direct violation of McConnell’s previous temporary restraining order. The court found that despite the initial ruling, the federal government persisted in restricting funds without justification.
The Trump administration has defended the freezes as a necessary measure to prevent fraud, but the judge rejected this reasoning, stating that the policy amounted to a blanket freeze without specific legal authority.
McConnell noted that if the administration could demonstrate compliance with the order while withholding funds under legitimate statutory authority, it could seek relief from the injunction.
The ruling cited Maness v. Meyers, a U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming that failure to obey a court order—regardless of its perceived validity—risks criminal contempt.
Judge McConnell is not the first to challenge the administration’s funding freeze. Judge Loren L. AliKhan previously issued an administrative stay, temporarily blocking the policy.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the administration had only rescinded a memo, not the funding freeze itself, which would continue to be “rigorously implemented.”
The court’s latest order raises the stakes for the administration, as continued noncompliance could lead to further legal consequences, including contempt proceedings.
