Judge Rules Trump ‘Covertly’ Withheld FEMA Funding From States With Sanctuary Laws

U.S. District Judge John McConnell disclosed on Friday that President Donald Trump and his administration “covertly” withheld funding from 19 blue states with sanctuary laws for immigrants.

McConnell, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2011, issued a preliminary injunction in favor of 23 states that sued the Trump administration for its freeze on aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He ordered Trump to “immediately end any funding pause” until further notice, Courthouse News reported.

On Friday, McConnell ruled at least 19 states, all of which sued to stop the funding pause, “presented undisputed evidence” that the government breached the court’s order by continuing to withhold aid, including more than $120 million allocated for disaster relief assistance in Oregon and $6 million for Hawaii to continue rebuilding Maui.

The Trump administration initially claimed the pause was within the court’s injunction because they were implementing a new manual review process for allocated funding. McConnell argued, however, that the government intentionally withheld it.

“The states have presented evidence that strongly suggests that FEMA is implementing this manual review process based, covertly, on the president’s Jan. 20, 2025 executive order’ — ‘Protecting the American People Against Invasions,'” the judge wrote in a 15-page order.

The judge ordered Trump to “immediately cease” its manual review process and comply with his original court order, a decision the Department of Homeland Security slammed in a statement obtained by Courthouse News.

“This is yet another example of an activist judge trying to obstruct President Trump’s agenda,” a senior department administrator wrote.

“At the direction of Secretary Noem, FEMA has implemented additional controls to ensure that all grant program activity is consistent with law and does not promote fraud, waste or abuse, as it has in the past. We will continue to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are being used wisely and for mission critical efforts,” the statement continued.