A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing new policy compliance conditions on billions of dollars in federal nutrition funding, siding with a coalition of 20 states and the District of Columbia.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun granted a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s effort to connect funding to specific federal policy priorities. Joun, who sits on the federal bench in Boston, stated he would issue a written memorandum explaining his decision at a later date.
The lawsuit, filed in March by a coalition of Democratic attorneys general, challenged USDA directives that required states to certify compliance with various federal guidelines to continue receiving funding. According to court filings, these conditions included provisions related to immigration, gender ideology, and fair athletic opportunities for women and girls.
In the complaint, the states argued that the requirements were vague, unrelated to nutrition and agriculture programs, and imposed without proper legal procedures. The states asserted that the USDA had placed “unconstitutional and unlawful roadblocks” between federally authorized programs and the states that administer them.
The targeted restrictions apply to USDA grants and programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps roughly 39 million Americans buy groceries. The case also affects school meal programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The plaintiff states collectively receive more than $74 billion annually through these USDA programs, and argued the new conditions jeopardized approved funding and could disrupt food assistance while the lawsuit moves forward.
Government attorneys opposed the injunction, arguing that the conditions were designed to strengthen federal oversight of taxpayer-funded programs. In court filings, administration lawyers stated the requirements would promote responsible stewardship of federal funds, improve USDA oversight, and ensure recipients comply with federal laws, regulations, and policies. The administration maintained that because states must comply with federal anti-discrimination laws to receive federal funding, other federal policies should be treated similarly.
Following the ruling, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell praised the decision on social media, calling USDA grants “a lifeline” for families. New York Attorney General Letitia James also welcomed the ruling, stating her office would continue fighting to protect federal funding as the lawsuit proceeds.
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