The Trump administration prepared to abandon its $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” Monday after intense pushback from GOP lawmakers, potentially removing the biggest obstacle to a reconciliation bill for immigration enforcement.
The administration will comply with a Friday order from a federal judge that temporarily blocks the fund, though it “disagrees strongly” with the ruling, the Justice Department said Monday in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The White House declined to provide additional comment on the statement.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, in the Eastern District of Virginia, blocked the formation of the fund, as well as any payouts, until a June 12 hearing where she will hear arguments on extending the order. “The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling,” the Justice Department said.
The fund, announced late last month, was aimed at those deemed “victims of lawfare and weaponization” by previous administrations, according to Justice Department talking points circulated to lawmakers last month. But lawmakers of both parties had expressed concern that people convicted of attacking law enforcement officers, particularly in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, could be eligible for compensation.
