The judge’s order was in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of nonprofit organizations challenging the payment freeze. The suit claims that even a temporary halt in funding could immediately “deprive people and communities of their life-saving services,” including health care, small business support and programs for the LGBTQ community.
The memo, signed by Trump’s acting budget director Matthew Vaeth on Monday, was set to take effect Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Washington.
Agencies would have been required to pause “federal financial assistance” and other activities covered by President Donald Trump’s early wave of executive actions. Those included limiting foreign aid and federal funding of diversity and equity programs, nongovernmental organizations, “woke” gender-related programming and “green” energy initiatives.
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