Judge blocks Trump administration from freezing welfare funds in five blue states

Published January 9, 2026 11:04pm ET



The Trump administration was temporarily blocked on Friday by a federal judge in New York from freezing billions in welfare funding for child care and social services programs.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian’s order comes after the Department of Health and Human Services paused roughly $10 billion in funding to California, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, and Colorado on the basis of alleged widespread fraud, prompting a lawsuit from the five states. The funding flowed from the Child Care and Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Social Services Block Grant. 

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.