US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media while holding an umbrella as he leaves the White House on his way to Florida on January 9, 2026 in Washington, DC, USA.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
A U.S. judge on Friday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from freezing five Democratic-led states’ access to more than $10 billion in federal funds for child care and family support, citing fraud concerns.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, said he issued the temporary restraining order for the reasons outlined in filings from the states that filed the lawsuits: California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York.
States sued the Trump administration late Thursday, two days after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the freeze.
The frozen funds include more than $7 billion from the Temporary Assistance Program for Needy Families, which provides cash to low-income families with children. The fund also includes $2.4 billion from the Child Care and Development Fund to make child care more affordable and about $870 million in social services grants for children.
