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Judges block Trump from cutting hundreds of millions in grants to cities, counties
In Chicago, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah also entered an order temporarily blocking the new conditions on more than $100 million in DHS grants to New York, Boston and several other cities.
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Reuters - Fri, 21, Nov 2025
- 23:18 EST
- 12
Judges block Trump from cutting hundreds of millions in grants to cities, counties / REUTERS/Mike Blake
A pair of federal judges on Nov. 21 separately blocked President Donald Trump's administration from unilaterally imposing new conditions on hundreds of millions in U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants to cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Jose temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from unilaterally imposing new conditions on over $350 million in U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants to more than two dozen cities and counties in California, Washington and Arizona.
In Chicago, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah also entered an order temporarily blocking the new conditions on more than $100 million in DHS grants to New York, Boston and several other cities.
Both judges said the Trump administration likely violated the law when it issued executive orders that sought to cut off DHS funding to local governments unless they ended programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion and compied with the president’s other executive orders. Orrick additionally barred conditions that required local governments to support federal immigration enforcement and stop providing benefits to immigrants who are in the country illegally.
Jill Habig, the CEO of Public Rights Project, which is representing the cities and counties in the lawsuits, said in a statement that the rulings provide protection for communities that need to prevent and recover from disasters.
San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego were among several cities and counties that sued the Trump administration in California on September 30, saying the federal government was playing politics with DHS and Federal Emergency Management Agency grants that local governments use to prepare for and recover from disasters.
The cities and counties in the lawsuit represent 30 million people, and they said collectively they have over $350 million in grants at stake. Local governments use the federal grants to hire first responders, fund search and rescue operations, train employees in disaster response, and prepare for events like Super Bowl LX and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Santa Clara County in California, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.
New York, Boston, Chicago and five other local governments filed their lawsuit over the funding conditions related to diversity on October 20.
The federal government has also threatened to criminally prosecute or claw back funds from localities that accept DHS money but do not comply with the new executive orders, according to the lawsuit.
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