Attorney General James Stops Freeze of $10 Billion for Childcare and Assistance to Families  

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after winning a second court order that prevents the Trump administration from carrying out its freeze of over $10 billion in funding for childcare and support for vulnerable families:  

“Every day, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers rely on these funds to pay for necessities and provide their children a safe place to learn. This illegal funding freeze would have caused severe chaos in the lives of some of the most vulnerable families in our state. I am proud to have secured another victory in this case to put a stop to it.”  

On January 8, Attorney General James led four other states in suing the administration to protect three critical programs from the administration’s attempt to target its political opponents by freezing over $10 billion in federal funds to the states. The freeze jeopardized funds for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) in the five states. On January 9, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the states’ motion for a temporary restraining order, blocking the implementation of the funding freeze. The court today granted the states’ motion for a preliminary injunction, continuing to block the funding freeze and allowing the states to draw down funds for the three targeted programs.  

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota.