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Judge Subramanian Blocks Funds, Draws MAGA Fire
Elon Musk referred to Judge Subramanian’s ruling as “problematic” on X.
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Rwittika Chakraborty
- Sun, 11, Jan 2026
- 02:44 EST
- 47
Federal Judge Arun Subramanian of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York / Wikipedia
Indian-American Federal Judge Arun Subramanian of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has been on the receiving end of intense criticism from MAGA supporters after he blocked a key Trump administration move to freeze billions of dollars in federal funding.
Judge Subramanian issued a temporary restraining order on Jan. 9, halting the administration’s decision to freeze nearly $10 billion in federal funding for child care and social services (also known as Somalian daycares) across five Democratic-led states.
ALSO READ: Judge Subramanian blocks Trump from freezing child, family aid
The order followed a lawsuit by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York, who stated that the Department of Health and Human Services did not have legal authority to stop the funds and had encroached on Congress’s power over federal spending.
U.S. President Donald Trump cited the move as part of his “America First" agenda, alleging misuse of taxpayer money.
In his brief order, Judge Subramanian mentioned that the states had shown cause for emergency relief, citing a likelihood of success on the merits, the risk of irreparable harm to vulnerable families, and the public interest in maintaining the flow of aid.
The ruling imposed a 14-day pause to allow fuller legal arguments, without adjudicating the fraud allegations themselves.
Subramanian’s decision brought in heavy online backlash from MAGA supporters, with many on social media labelling him a “Biden appointee" and a “DEI hire," while some posts conveyed comments of xenophobia, including calls for his deportation despite his U.S. citizenship, and also included other racial attacks.
Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller criticised the ruling, claiming that it forces Americans to fund what he described as refugee-related “daycare scams."
Elon Musk referred to Judge Subramanian’s ruling as “problematic” on X.
Subramanian, who was born in 1979 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Indian immigrant parents, started his legal career as the clerk for senior judges in New York’s federal courts and later for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Along with Subramanian, other Indian-American judges, including Amit Mehta, Vince Chhabria, and Indira Talwani, among others, have also faced similar backlash in recent months.
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