Key facts
- A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing anti-DEI conditions on federal grants.
- The grants at issue include funds for policing, anti-terrorism, immigration, disaster, and fire relief efforts.
- The ruling applies to municipalities in California and Oregon.
- Judge William Orrick agreed that the conditions were unauthorized.
- The injunction is expected to be narrowed to grants for which plaintiffs have applied.
U.S. District Judge William Orrick indicated he would grant a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's conditions on federal grants, agreeing that the conditions were "unlawful and unauthorized." The grants, which include funds for public safety, public health, and environmental programs, were subject to new requirements that recipients adhere to anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The judge expressed skepticism regarding claims against the Department of the Interior, noting that no plaintiff municipalities in the Northern District of California had applied for grants from that agency. However, he stated his inclination to grant relief narrowed to grants for which the plaintiffs have applied, acknowledging that municipalities not yet awarded grants but intending to apply face irreparable harm due to the conditions affecting their fiscal planning.
Multiple federal judges have previously issued temporary blocks on similar anti-DEI grant conditions imposed by the Trump administration. The government, represented by the DOJ, argued that any injunction should be limited to the specific plaintiffs and grants named in the complaint, asserting that future events should be addressed as they arise.