Trump Administration Not Complying With Court Order to Unfreeze Federal Funding, Attorney General Tong Seeks to Enforce Temporary Restraining Order

Press Releases

02/07/2025

Trump Administration Not Complying With Court Order to Unfreeze Federal Funding, Attorney General Tong Seeks to Enforce Temporary Restraining Order

(Hartford, CT) — Citing evidence that the Trump Administration is continuing to block state funding out of compliance with the court order secured by Attorney General William Tong and 22 other state attorneys general, the coalition of states this afternoon filed a motion to enforce and a motion for preliminary injunction in NY v. Trump.

The ongoing lawsuit challenges actions by President Donald Trump, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and federal agencies attempting to pause nearly $3 trillion in federal assistance funding allocated to the states for critical programs and services vital to people nationwide.

The filings today seek two forms of immediate relief— a court order enforcing the existing temporary restraining order, and a preliminary injunction extending court-ordered protection against the President’s lawless funding freeze.

The filing cites evidence that the Trump Administration has continued to block or delay these specific funding categories, out of compliance with the order. The motion to enforce seeks to ensure that these critical funds are swiftly dispersed so that states can put them to use to protect [for] the health, safety, and well-being of their residents.

The coalition today further seeks to preliminarily enjoin the Trump Administration’s actions to impose a funding freeze, emphasizing the widespread and irreparable harm to states, which rely on billions of dollars of critical federal assistance for public services to ensure access to education, clean air and water, and health care, and to support essential infrastructure projects.

The filing includes a declaration from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection detailing $534,464,753 in federal funding awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that remains inaccessible. That includes funding awarded through the Solar For All, Climate Pollution Reduction Grant-Heat Pump Coalition and Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant.

“President Trump is not complying with the court order and continues to defund states. Let’s be clear about what Donald Trump wants to do—Donald Trump wants to defund Connecticut schools. He wants to defund the police. He wants to defund Connecticut highways. He is defunding energy assistance right now in defiance of a court order when so many Connecticut families are desperate for relief. He is defunding Connecticut efforts to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and fossil fuels. He is defying the rule of law and daring courts to stop him. We are escalating our legal fight today to protect Connecticut families and Connecticut workers from this brazen and lawless attack, and we’re not going to back down,” said Attorney General Tong.

Attorney General Tong joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin in filing the motions.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

Facebook: CT Attorney General

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

Consumer Inquiries:

860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov