Trump Administration Blocked From Cutting CDC Funds to 4 States

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to withhold $600 million in public health grants from four states led by Democrats, a move that mirrors a similar dispute from 2025. The grants, allocated to California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota, were targeted for cuts after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) deemed them “inconsistent with agency priorities.”

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by the attorneys general of the four states, argued the cuts violated the Constitution by imposing retroactive conditions on funding. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah issued a temporary restraining order Thursday, preventing the administration from enacting the cuts while the case proceeds.

The grants in question support a range of public health initiatives, including programs focused on LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color. HHS officials have revised the CDC’s priorities, describing health equity as an “ideologically-laden” concept that “has undermined core American values.”

The timing and nature of the cuts have raised concerns, particularly given that the funding was included in a bipartisan bill signed into law by President Trump on February 3rd. The administration’s actions echo a pattern of attempting to redirect funds allocated by Congress, a tactic employed during the previous year as well.

In California, officials received notice of the grant terminations Thursday morning. Dr. Sarah Rudman, director of Santa Clara County’s public health department, described the impact as potentially devastating. “Two large grants that we rely on for core functions in public health to keep people safe and healthy have now been canceled,” she said. One of the grants supports a staff member in the county’s public health laboratory, crucial for testing for diseases like Ebola, anthrax, and measles.

Similar concerns were echoed by a joint statement from other affected public health departments, highlighting potential disruptions to programs addressing HIV prevention in Chicago, firearm injury reduction in Denver, and access to healthy foods in Minneapolis.

The administration’s decision to target these grants appears to stem from a directive issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) earlier this month, instructing agencies to cut funding to the four states. According to the lawsuit, the OMB identified the grants for potential targeting as part of a broader effort to retaliate against states with policies the administration opposes.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, pointed to a provision included in the 2026 Labor-HHS budget bill requiring notification of grant cancellations. This provision, she believes, provided the states with crucial time to file a lawsuit and obtain the temporary restraining order.

The administration did not respond to requests for comment from NPR. OMB Director Russell Vought is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, alongside HHS and the CDC.

Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, noted that the grant cancellations appear to originate from the OMB, a departure from traditional federal public health funding practices. She also emphasized that the grants were approved by the administration’s own political appointees after President Trump’s inauguration.

California Attorney General Robert Bonta expressed confidence in the states’ legal challenge. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If President Trump and those who work for him want to stop losing in court, they should stop breaking the law,” Bonta said in a press release.