Judge Orders Trump Administration to Lift FEMA Grant Freeze

A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to stop withholding Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to states, ruling that the administration violated a preliminary injunction he issued last month. U.S. District Judge John McConnell sided with 22 Democratic states and Washington, D.C., who argued that FEMA was continuing to freeze funds despite the court's earlier order. The judge noted that FEMA's claim of a 'manual review process' effectively imposed an indefinite pause on disbursements, which he found unacceptable. He instructed FEMA to immediately comply with the injunction and notify agency staff of the ruling. The funding freeze had affected relief efforts for various programs, including wildfire recovery and local government support. This ruling raises concerns about whether the Trump administration will adhere to court mandates, as tensions between the judiciary and the executive branch continue to grow.