00:00Music
00:24Another legal roadblock slams into the Trump administration.
00:29A federal judge has just halted a sweeping move to freeze $10 billion in social safety net funding,
00:36money that millions of low-income families rely on.
00:40It's the latest setback in a growing courtroom battle over executive power,
00:45welfare policy, and the limits of federal authority.
00:50A U.S. district judge on Friday ordered that critical welfare funds must keep flowing
00:56to five Democratic-led states – California, New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Minnesota.
01:03The ruling comes after those states warned the sudden freeze was triggering chaos
01:08in programs serving vulnerable families.
01:14The decision was issued by Judge Arun Subramanian, who granted an emergency injunction requested by the states.
01:21His order temporarily blocks the administration from cutting funds from three major programs –
01:27child care assistance, cash aid for families, and social services grants.
01:33Judge Subramanian's ruling will remain in effect for two weeks, giving both sides time to submit detailed legal arguments.
01:41The judge signaled serious concerns over whether the administration had the authority to withhold money already approved by Congress.
01:53Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services notified the five states that billions in funding would be frozen.
02:01California alone stood to lose nearly half of the $10 billion targeted in the freeze.
02:07The Trump administration defended the move by citing what it called serious concerns about fraud and misuse of taxpayer money in state-run welfare programs.
02:17But the states say no evidence was provided to justify such a sweeping action.
02:24State officials warned that the freeze was already disrupting child care centers, social workers, and aid payments.
02:32They described the move as an abrupt shock to systems designed to protect low-income families with children.
02:39California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by Attorneys General from the other four states, filed a lawsuit late Thursday night.
02:47They argued the administration was overstepping its powers and attempting to override Congress.
02:53The welfare freeze followed renewed scrutiny after a major fraud scandal involving federal funds in Minnesota.
03:02Republicans have seized on that case to push for tighter controls, but the court made clear broad freezes require legal backing.
03:10For now, the ruling delivers a sharp legal blow to the Trump administration and a lifeline to millions of families.
03:18But with the injunction set to expire in two weeks, the battle over welfare funding and executive power is far from over.
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