A federal judge on Jan. 9 temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in federal funds for child care programs in five Democratic-led states.
On Jan. 6, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it would halt funds, in what officials said came from the administration’s allegations about fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars in state-run programs. They also allege, without providing evidence, that noncitizens ineligible for benefits may have improperly used the funds.
Top prosecutors from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York filed a lawsuit Jan. 8 against HHS to return approximately $10 billion for three programs for child care and low-income families.
Democratic attorneys general warned millions of Americans would be left without child care after the HHS withheld federal funds for child care and family assistance aid programs, mostly for lower-income Americans.
In a two-page order issued on Jan. 9, U.S. Judge Arun Subramanian, of the Southern District of New York, granted a temporary restraining order for the states, preventing the administration from freezing funds for now.
