A federal judge appointed by Trump has blocked his administration from halting Biden-era climate and infrastructure grants, unfreezing $14 billion in funding and sparking fierce backlash from conservatives.
At a Glance
- Federal judge halts Trump’s freeze on EPA grants
- $14B of climate funds restored under court order
- Judge Mary McElroy ruled agency actions “unlawful”
- McElroy previously blocked Trump-era health cuts
- Sen. Mike Lee proposes bill to limit such injunctions
Another Liberal Judge Overrules Presidential Authority
U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy issued a nationwide preliminary injunction this week, forcing the Trump administration to release climate and infrastructure funds that had been frozen by federal agencies. Her ruling restores $14 billion out of a $20 billion fund created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and backed by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
According to the Associated Press, McElroy concluded that the Trump administration acted without lawful authority in halting the payouts. The court sided with seven nonprofit and environmental groups who argued that the freeze was arbitrary and unlawful.
Watch a report on the ruling at EPA Freeze Blocked by Federal Judge.
Political Background and Legal Fallout
While appointed by Trump in 2019, McElroy had previously been nominated by President Obama, reflecting a bipartisan path to her judgeship. Still, critics point to her Democratic activism before taking the bench—including political work and party involvement—as signs of ideological bias.
In her decision, McElroy stated that “agencies do not have unlimited authority to further a President’s agenda,” rebuking the administration’s attempt to claw back grants already approved by Congress. Her ruling emphasized that executive action cannot override laws enacted by the legislative branch—especially not through federal agencies without clear statutory backing.
As reported by Politico, the order affects disbursements from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Interior Department, all of which had paused climate-related funding under Trump’s directive.
Biden’s Climate Agenda Reignited
The funding freeze had threatened major green initiatives linked to emissions reduction, clean energy, and environmental justice. The plaintiffs, which include nonprofits like Climate United, said they were blindsided by the abrupt halt. “Today’s decision gives us a chance to breathe,” said Climate United’s Beth Bafford in comments shared by AOL News.
Despite Trump administration claims of potential waste and fraud, the judge ruled that previously awarded grants could not be suspended without legal justification. The decision now accelerates pending lawsuits on whether the President can unilaterally block disbursed congressional funds.
GOP Response: “Judicial Tyranny”
Republicans quickly condemned the ruling, accusing McElroy of judicial overreach. Senator Mike Lee responded by introducing the “Restraining Judicial Insurrectionists Act of 2025,” which would require controversial district court injunctions against presidential actions to be reviewed by a three-judge panel, with fast-track appeals to the Supreme Court.
“America’s government cannot function if the legitimate orders of our Commander in Chief can be overridden at the whim of a single district court judge,” Lee said in a statement quoted by Breitbart.
The proposal is designed to curb what Lee calls a wave of “nationwide injunctions” used to block conservative executive orders, arguing that no single judge should wield that much unchecked influence over federal governance.
Read more on the court ruling at the Associated Press, Reuters, and Politico. For details on Sen. Lee’s proposed legislation, visit lee.senate.gov.
