Climate funding frozen by Trump must be released, judge rules in sweeping injunction

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze billions in climate and infrastructure funds that had been paused since January, ruling the freeze unlawful and allowing projects across the country to resume.

Praveena Somasundaram reports for The Washington Post.

In short:

• A federal judge ruled that five agencies must release climate and infrastructure funding paused by President Trump’s executive order on his first day in office. The ruling reinstates funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
• The lawsuit was filed by six nonprofit groups who said the freeze harmed projects ranging from wildfire prevention to worker safety training. They argued the freeze violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
• Judge Mary McElroy, a Trump appointee, said agencies cannot indefinitely block laws passed by Congress, calling the freeze “arbitrary and capricious” while affirming that the president may pursue his agenda within legal bounds.

Key quote:

“Agencies do not have unlimited authority to further a President’s agenda, nor do they have unfettered power to hamstring in perpetuity two statutes passed by Congress during the previous administration.”

— U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy

Why this matters:

At stake are billions in federal investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building climate resilience, and upgrading outdated infrastructure. Much of this money supports efforts at the state and local level that protect both the environment and public health. When such funding is halted, the most vulnerable communities often suffer first, especially those facing disproportionate exposure to pollution and climate-related risks. Legal battles like this one highlight how environmental policy can swing sharply with presidential transitions, creating instability for long-term projects. The ruling also affirms that even presidential authority has legal limits, particularly when it interferes with laws enacted by Congress.

Read more: Zooming in on the fallout from the Trump administration's freezing of green bank funds