Judge Rules Trump Administration Violated Court Order on FEMA Funds

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration violated a court order by withholding FEMA funds from at least 19 states, which had sued to stop the funding freeze. Judge John McConnell found that the administration's actions appeared to be a covert effort to punish states with sanctuary laws for immigrants, undermining the constitutional roles of government branches. The states provided evidence that they were missing substantial disaster relief funds, with Oregon claiming over $120 million and Hawaii awaiting $6 million for wildfire recovery. The Trump administration had argued that FEMA was merely implementing a new review process for funding allocations, but the judge determined this amounted to an indefinite pause in disbursements. This ruling comes after an earlier injunction in March that demanded the cessation of funding freezes. Critics have accused the administration of using funding as a political tool against states led by Democratic officials.