{"id":395770,"date":"2026-07-12T17:29:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T17:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/395770\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T17:29:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T17:29:10","slug":"judge-blocks-trump-anti-dei-grant-conditions-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/395770\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge blocks Trump anti-DEI grant conditions in California"},"content":{"rendered":"

A federal judge in California has dealt a major setback to the Trump administration\u2019s effort to tie billions of dollars in federal grants to its crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion programs<\/a>, ruling the White House exceeded its authority by imposing the new conditions on cities and counties on the West Coast.<\/p>\n

US District Judge William Orrick<\/a> on Thursday granted a preliminary injunction barring the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and the Interior from enforcing the challenged \u201canti-DEI\u201d grant conditions against 11 local governments, writing the restrictions likely violate both the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat defendants seek to do likely violates the Constitution (separation of powers and Spending Clause) and the Administrative Procedures Act,\u201d Orrick wrote in the 68-page order<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"JudgeUS District Judge William Orrick granted a preliminary injunction barring the enforcement challenging \u201canti-DEI\u201d grant.\u00a0 Thacher School<\/p>\n

The lawsuit was brought by the cities of Fresno, Santa Clara, Redwood City, Santa Cruz, Stockton, Beaverton, Corvallis and Hillsboro, along with Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara counties.<\/p>\n

They argued the Trump administration unlawfully attached ideological conditions to grants approved by Congress<\/a> for public safety, disaster preparedness, policing, fire protection, water conservation and crime victim services.<\/p>\n

Orrick agreed, finding the administration\u2019s new requirements \u201chave nothing to do with or contradict the Congressional purpose\u201d behind the grant programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The judge also sided with the municipalities\u2019 argument that Congress \u2014 not the executive branch \u2014 controls federal spending.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaintiffs maintain that \u2018[n]othing in the Constitution or federal statutes authorizes Defendants to impose the Challenged Conditions, or anything of the kind, on funds administered through congressional grant programs,’\u201d Orrick wrote. \u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenged policies required grant recipients to certify they do not operate programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.<\/p>\n

\"DonaldThe decision marks the latest judicial rebuke of the Trump administration\u2019s efforts. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Other conditions sought to encourage cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and required compliance with executive orders related to federal grants.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The judge concluded that allowing the conditions to remain in place would cause immediate harm to local governments and the communities they serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe result of their imposition of the challenged conditions would irreparably injure plaintiffs and their ability to provide critical services, as well as would threaten public safety,\u201d Orrick wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The grants affected by the ruling fund a broad range of programs, including anti-terrorism initiatives, disaster mitigation, flood protection, wildfire preparedness, law enforcement training, forensic science, human trafficking prevention and services for crime victims.<\/p>\n

The court found that many of the administration\u2019s new conditions conflicted with the very statutes Congress enacted to establish those programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In weighing whether to issue the injunction, Orrick said the public interest favored preserving funding for essential local services.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo does the general public, which is interested in seeing its communities receive funding for critical infrastructure and public safety initiatives \u2014 funding that is paid for by their federal tax dollars,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

The decision marks the latest judicial rebuke of the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to condition federal funding on compliance with its anti-DEI agenda<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Federal judges have issued similar rulings in other cases challenging the administration\u2019s grant restrictions, including a recent decision in Seattle blocking comparable conditions attached to grants from other federal agencies.<\/p>\n

The preliminary injunction will remain in place while the lawsuit proceeds. The Justice Department is expected to appeal.<\/p>\n

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