Judge blocks Trump childcare subsidies freeze in 5 states temporarily
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A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from halting subsidies for child care programs in five states, including Minnesota, over allegations of fraud.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, a Biden appointee, did not rule on the legality of the funding freeze, but said states met the legal threshold to maintain the “status quo” on funding for at least two weeks while discussions continue.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would cut funding to programs in five Democratic states due to fraud concerns.
Programs include the Child Care and Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Social Services Block Grant, all of which help families in need.
USDA IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED ALL FEDERAL FUNDS TO MINNESOTA DUE TO FRAUD INVESTIGATION
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it would cut funding to programs in five Democratic states due to fraud concerns. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
“Families who rely on child care and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are being used lawfully and for their intended purposes,” HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said in a statement Tuesday. he said.
States including California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York argued in court filings that the federal government had no legal right to end the funding and that the new policy created “operational chaos” in the states.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian at his 2022 nomination hearing. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
In total, states said they received more than $10 billion in federal funding for programs.
HHS said it had “reason to believe” the programs were illegally offering funds to people in the country.
‘TIPE OF THE ICEBERG’: SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE GOVERNMENT BANKING OVER MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL
The table above shows the five states that were halted by the Trump administration due to allegations of fraud and their social safety net funding for various programs. (AP Digital Placement)
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted the case, called the decision “a critical victory for the families whose lives have been disrupted by this administration’s cruelty.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted the case, called the decision “a critical victory for the families whose lives have been disrupted by this administration’s cruelty.” (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Fox News Digital has reached out to HHS for comment.
